HC Deb 25 February 1998 vol 307 cc241-2W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 16 February 1998,Official Report, column 489, for what reasons it is not his policy to list the British manufacturers of equipment found by inspectors in Iraq. [31273]

Staff located outside Greater Belfast area
Department Total Non-industrial only Grade 6 and above
1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997
DANI 2,000 1,836 1,839 1,239 1,123 1,165 4 4 2
DED 785 786 740 735 737 701 2 2 2
DENI 562 585 579 560 583 577 70 70 71
DFP 291 271 261 291 271 261 6 6 6
DHSS 2,046 1,966 1,864 2,046 1,966 1,864
DOE 3,422 3,328 3,149 2,417 2,311 2,257 14 15 14
NIO 1,161 1,184 1,156 1,039 1,057 1,034 3 3 3
Total 10,267 9,956 9,588 8,327 8,048 7,859 99 100 98

Mr. Tony Lloyd

It is not our practice to reveal the identity of British manufacturers whose equipment has been found by UNSCOM in Iraq, because it is UNSCOM' s practice to disclose such information to Governments on a confidential basis when it considers this may assist its investigations. That confidentiality must be maintained if UNSCOM is to be able to follow up information on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes effectively.

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