HC Deb 08 December 1993 vol 234 c266W
Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the use of chemical weapons against the marsh Arabs; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Reports of the use of chemical weapons in the southern marshes of Iraq last September caused us great concern. We immediately offered resources to the United Nations Special Commission to help it investigate the allegations and a British scientist took part in the UNSCOM 65 mission to the marshes in November. UNSCOM could find no immediate evidence that chemical weapons had been used at the sites visited. However, the mission took a large number of soil, water, fauna and flora samples which are now being analysed. Conclusive results will not be known for some months. We remain committed to supporting UNSCOM in its search and destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

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