Iraq (Hansard, 23 February 1998)

§ Dr. Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each currently relevant United Nations resolution concerning Iraq and indicate the present state of compliance of the Iraqi Government with each of them. [29796]

§ Mr. Fatchett
In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, 39 resolutions have been adopted. The cost of determining and setting out the exact state of Iraqi compliance with each one of these would be disproportionately high.
In relation to the present crisis over the work of UNSCOM, Iraq has failed to comply with UNSCRs 687, 707, 715, 1060, 1115, 1134 and 1137, and with demands from the Security Council in numerous Presidential statements.

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the current condition of Kurdish people in northern Iraq. [30228]

§ Mr. Fatchett
A Foreign Office official visited northern Iraq in January. He reported some improvements in the implementation of the "oil for food" scheme. There had been almost full food baskets since August 1997 and medicines had been distributed in larger quantities since November 1997. A major resettlement programme was underway, with some roads and schools completed and work on one village completed.
Several UK NGOs are working in northern Iraq. Most are funded by the Government.
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We continue our efforts to encourage the KDP and the PUK to resolve their differences through dialogue and reconciliation. Members of the senior leadership of both parties met in Shaqlawah on 12 February to discuss inter-party co-operation on humanitarian issues and other confidence building measures.

§ Mr. Vaz
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Iraqi claims to possess biologically armed intermediate range missiles. [30248]

§ Mr. Tony Lloyd
Iraq denies that it retains any biological weapons or missiles with a range over 150 kilometres, both of which are prohibited under UN Security Council Resolution 687. But the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) has reported that serious gaps still remain in Iraq's declarations relating to all of its proscribed activities. Without full, unhindered access to all sites of Mass Destruction programmes, UNSCOM cannot be sure that Iraq does not retain operational SCUD-type missiles, or chemical or biological warheads for these.