HL Deb 23 February 1998 vol 586 c59WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 calls for ridding the entire Middle East of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs); and if so what steps are being taken to widen UNSCOM's remit to ensure the absence of WMDs in other Middle Eastern countries, and in particular those in Israel.[HL588] [10 February]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

UNSCOM's remit under Security Council Resolution 687 (SCR 687) is to oversee, in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the dismantling of Iraq's arsenal of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and to maintain a monitoring programme to ensure that it is never rebuilt. SCR 687 takes note that Iraqi compliance will represent a step towards the goal of establishing in the Middle East a zone free from weapons of mass destruction, a concept we have consistently supported.