Iraq (Hansard, 30 March 2000)

§ Mr. Galloway
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the most recent year for which figures are available, how many applications were made to the UN Sanctions Committee under(a) the Oil for Food programme and (b) other humanitarian programmes; how many of these applications were (i) approved and (ii) refused; how many are outstanding; and what was the average length of time taken to consider each application. [116311]

§ Mr. Hain
Between December 1999 and 6 March 2000, 2,443 applications were submitted to the UN Iraq Sanctions Committee under the Oil for Food programme. None of these applications was refused. The Committee raised no objection to 1,883 of these applications. Additional information was requested on 560 applications.
Detailed information on all Oil for Food applications submitted over the last year can be found on the UN website at http://www.un.org/Depts/oip.html.
During the period 1 August 1998 to 20 November 1999 over 6,000 applications were received for humanitarian goods outside the Oil for Food programme. Of these 2,654 were approved, 427 were placed on hold for further information, and 2,823 were refused since the Committee considered them inconsistent with the relevant resolutions on Iraq. Some applications were withdrawn or nullified. A key factor here is the potential for dual use.
Medical supplies and food applications are circulated under a no objections procedure within two business days; applications for other humanitarian supplies within seven business days. Under the terms of United Nations Security Council resolution 1284, it has been agreed that a wide range of humanitarian items will no longer require Sanctions Committee approval. These items include foodstuffs, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, medical equipment and educational items. These items require notification to the UN's Office of the Iraq Programme.

§ Mr. Galloway
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of each application refused by the UN-Iraq Sanctions Committee under(a) the Oil for Food programme and (b) other humanitarian programmes in the last year for which the information is available. [116309]

§ Mr. Hain
I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 30 March 2000,Official Report, column 263W.
Detailed figures on all applications to the United Nations Oil for Food programme, giving the number of applications and the status of the applications, can be found on the United Nations website at: http://www.un. org/Departments/oip.html

§ Mr. Galloway
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures the UN Iraq Sanctions Committee use in reaching decisions on applications under(a) the Oil for Food Programme and (b) other humanitarian programmes. [116310]

§ Mr. Hain
The UN Iraq Sanctions Committee established by United Nations Security Council resolution 661, comprising all members of the UN Security Council, reaches decisions on applications under the Oil for Food programme or under other humanitarian programmes by consensus in accordance with the relevant resolutions on264W Iraq. A significant number of applications, for essential civilian needs, medical supplies and foodstuffs are circulated under a no objection procedure. Medicines are generally exempt from Committee approval.
Under the terms of United Nations Security Council resolution 1284, it has been agreed that an even wider range of humanitarian items will no longer require Sanctions Committee approval. These items include foodstuffs, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, medical equipment and educational items. These items require notification to the UN's Office of the Iraq Programme.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), of 24 March 2000,Official Report, column 1290 on Iraq, if it is part of Yuli Vorontsov's brief to make inquiries about missing Iraqi nationals in Kuwait. [116870]

§ Mr. Hain
Mr. Vorontsov's brief is set out in paragraphs 13-14 of Security Council resolution 1284. He has been appointed as a high-level coordinator to pursue Iraq's obligations since the Gulf War and to return stolen Kuwaiti property, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), of 24 March 2000,Official Report, column 1292, to which brutality in relation to the Shia, the Minister was referring other than that which took place in 1991 in the Kerbala area. [116872]

§ Mr. Hain
I refer my hon. Friend to the regular reports from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iraq, particularly that of February 1999, which record the systematic assassinations, attacks and threats carried out against the Shiite leadership since 1991. The November 1999 Amnesty International report on Iraq also documents the assassinations of prominent Shia clerics over the previous 18 months. These documents are available on the UN website (www.un.org).
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), of 24 March 2000, Official Report, column 1292 on Iraq, in what ways the Shia population of Iraq is protected by UK forces. [116874]

§ Mr. Hain
UK and US aircraft patrolling the southern No Fly Zone serve to protect the population, primarily Shia, from attacks by the Iraqi air force.

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), of 24 March 2000,Official Report, column 1292 on Iraq, from which countries of origin Saddam Hussein is smuggling materials for chemical and biological weapons. [116873]

§ Mr. Hain
As the record makes clear, I was describing the hypothetical situation if we were, inadvisedly, to lift sanctions prematurely.
265W

§ Mr. Dalyell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), of 24 March 2000,Official Report, column 1293 on Iraq, what assessment he has made of the threat to the Kirkuk oil field arising from the shortage of oil industry spare parts. [116936]

§ Mr. Hain
We have noted the comments on the Kirkuk oil field in the UN's latest report on Iraq's oil industry.
The Security Council is expected to adopt a new resolution on 31 March which will implement the Secretary-General's recommendation for an additional allocation of $600 million from oil for food revenue for the purchase of oil spare parts.