HL Deb 26 November 1992 vol 540 cc71-2WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What information they have about progress towards the complete exchange of prisoners of war between Iraq and Iran, since the cease-fire of August 1988

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) held a meeting on 15th/16th April 1992 with delegations from Iraq and Iran to discuss the repatriation of the remaining prisoners of war (POWs). Both delegations reaffirmed the principles defined in the plan of action agreed in February 1992, emphasised that they considered themselves bound by the Geneva Conventions of 1949

1989–90 1990–91 1991–92
£ £ £
Acord 1,110,074 1,508,600 1,898,378
Action Aid 1,235,250 1,356,128 1,508,340
Action on Disability and Development 134,326 142,142 192,919
Action Health 2000 5,000
Action Water 10,000
Afghan Aid 1,700,000 1,000,000 1,500,000
Africa Now 9,960 28,601 41,245
African Medical and Research Foundation 201,179 400,281 174,690
Aga Khan Foundation 1,518,765 1,718,034 1,650,981
Ahrtag 141,863 231,503 335,391
Aid Armenia 12,261
Aid for India 35,960
Alternative for India Development 51,857 96,184 74,405
Al-Ul-Bayt (Islamic Centre) 170,000
Anti Slavery Society 34,361 88,650
Appropriate Technology for Tibetans Trust 17,822 3,007
Apt Design and Development 24,626 91,375
Association of Commonwealth Universities 415,443 431,252

and assured each other that they would resume the repatriation process, under the auspices of the ICRC, not later than 1st May 1992. We understand that Iran has now postponed the repatriation process indefinitely and that there remain some 20,000 Iraqi POWs in Iran and several hundred Iranian POWs in Iraq. We urge both sides to release and repatriate any remaining POWs without delay, as called for by SCR 598.