HL Deb 27 November 1997 vol 583 c128WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the nationalities to which the professionals in the UNSCOM inspection team in Iraq have belonged, and in what numbers; whether they have diplomatic status in Iraq; and whether they report exclusively and confidentially to the United Nations, or to other parties as well, and, if so, which.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The nationalities of professionals who make up UNSCOM inspection teams are a matter for the Executive Chairman of UNSCOM. We are not privy to any list of such personnel. UNSCOM personnel are not afforded diplomatic status: they enjoy the facilities, privileges and immunities provided for by the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialised Agencies. UNSCOM personnel are bound by an undertaking not to communicate any information outside the United Nations without the approval of the Executive Chairman.