HL Deb 03 December 1998 vol 595 cc56-7WA
Lord Morris of Manchester

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the release of the Kuwaitis who have been imprisoned in Iraq since the Gulf war will have to be agreed before there is any relaxation of the economic sanctions against Iraq. [HL59]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Sanctions will be lifted once the UN Security Council is satisfied that Iraq has complied with its obligations under the relevant resolutions. The Council has agreed outline terms for a comprehensive review of Iraq's compliance to date, to start once Iraq has resumed full co-operation with UNSCOM and the IAEA. This review would be in two phases. The first would assess Iraqi compliance with its disarmament obligations and would also include the arrangements for onward monitoring and verification. The second phase would deal with Iraq's compliance with all its other obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions, including those relating to Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing Kuwaiti property.