§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 2 May 2000,Official Report, column 67W, on Iraqi oil, if he has asked the (a) Council of Ministers and (b) European Commission to put pressure on Turkey to bring the trade in Iraqi oil across its borders into the UN humanitarian programme; what was the volume of oil in metric tonnes sold through the UN programme in (i) 1999 and (ii) 2000 to date; and what was the estimated value in (1) 1999 and (2) 2000 to date of Iraqi oil sold (x) through the UN programme and (y) in breach of sanctions. [121054]
§ Mr. HainWe have discussed measures to cut down on oil smuggling including through Turkey with the other members of the Security Council which includes two fellow members of the European Union.
260WThe estimated value of illegal oil exports in 1999 was $250 million and in 2000 to date $170 million. As I pointed out in my answer of 2 May, the UK is making every effort to reduce this illegal trade,.
UN statistics for the volume of oil sold under the "oil for food" arrangements are provided for each six month phase and in barrels. For phase V (26 November 1998 to 25 May 1999) the volume of oil sold was 360.8 million barrels worth $3.95 billion. For phase VI (25 May 1999 to 11 December 1999) the volume of oil sold was 389.6 million barrels worth $7.4 billion. Under the present phase (phase VII) the volume of oil sold up to 28 April was 244.7 million barrels worth $5.79 billion. Phase VII ends on 7 June.