§ 30. Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answer of 16 March 1999,Official Report, columns 869–70, on Iraq, if he will define the humanitarian objectives of the no-fly zones. [79976]
§ Mr. Tony LloydAs my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow is aware from the answer given to his question on 18 March 1999,Official Report, column 764, by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), the No-Fly Zones were established in response to a situation of overwhelming humanitarian necessity. Coalition aircraft patrol the No-Fly Zones in support of SCR 688 which called on Iraq to end the repression of its civilian population. The humanitarian objective is therefore to limit this repression as far as possible. This remains a vital task. as the latest report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights makes clear, the]Iraqi security services continue to persecute opponents of the regime on the ground. Without our continued presence in the No-Fly Zones, they would be free to do so from the air as well. With past atrocities committed by Iraqi forces in mind, including the chemical weapons attack on the Kurds in Halabjah, we are not prepared to countenance that.
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§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the sanctions imposed by the international community on Iraq have affected the supply of radioactive isotopes for the treatment of cancer there. [80161]
§ Mr. FatchettWe are not aware that sanctions have affected the supply of radioactive isotopes for the treatment of cancer in Iraq. Radioactive isotopes are included on the distribution plan for the present phase of the UN "oil for food" programme. We are not aware that any contracts for these isotopes have been put on hold or blocked in the UN Sanctions Committee.