§ Mr. FabricantTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take in the event of military action being taken against Iraq to prevent(a) agents of the Iraqi Government entering the United Kingdom and (b) chemical or biological warfare substances being imported illegally into the United Kingdom. [30842]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 26 February 1998]: All Iraqi nationals who wish to travel to the United Kingdom for any purpose are required to obtain a visa. It is my normal practice personally to direct the exclusion on national security grounds of any individual wishing to travel to the United Kingdom who is suspected of links with a hostile intelligence service.
Responsibility for the control of chemical and biological materials is shared among a range of other Government Departments. Existing controls on the importation, possession and acquisition of these materials are already stringently applied.
§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals are resident in the United Kingdom; what plans his Department has regarding their treatment in the event of hostilities between Britain and Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [31488]
472Was statistics for convictions do not include the place of the offences. The available information held centrally on acts of violence committed by prisoners relates to proven disciplinary charges for violent offences against Prison Rules, referral to the police by prisons of alleged violent acts, and the number of homicides between prisoners. For the period from 1992 to 1997, this information is as follows:
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 27 February 1998]: The 1997 Labour Force survey estimated that the number of Iraqi nationals resident in the United Kingdom stood at 10,000.
Any questions about the immigration status of individual Iraqi nationals continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.