§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline the Government's current policy in relation to the reports of the three United Nations panels on Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [80515]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 13 April 1999]The panels' reports form a good basis for Security Council discussion on the way forward on Iraq.
The disarmament panel has endorsed what has long been clear: that UNSCOM has achieved an enormous amount, but that there are still important questions left unanswered. The panel has also stated clearly that Iraq has not fulfilled its obligations. We share the panel's view 256W that if the inspectors are to go back into Iraq they will need a system more, not less, intrusive than before.
Iraq's refusal to come clean over its weapons of mass destruction has prevented any movement on sanctions. Compliance with Security Council resolutions is an essential prerequisite for lifting sanctions. Our insistence on Iraq meeting its obligations does not mean we can ignore the suffering of the Iraqi people. We are pleased that the humanitarian panel has picked up many of our proposals on how to improve international efforts to alleviate this suffering, on how to increase the amount of money going into the oil-for-food programme and ensuring it is used as effectively as possible.
Neither should we lose sight of the fate of the Kuwaitis and others still missing since the Gulf War ended in 1991, on which Iraq has remained shamelessly silent. I welcome the third panel's support for the Tripartite Commission chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and echo its call for Iraq to co-operate fully.