§ Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of Iraq's access to weapons of mass destruction.[134922]
§ Mr. HainUp until their withdrawal from Iraq in December 1998, UN weapons inspectors consistently reported to the United Nations Security Council that serious gaps remained in Iraq's declarations on chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missiles. We are deeply concerned that weapons inspectors have been unable to operate in Iraq for approaching two years. Hence the importance we attach to the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gaining access to Iraq at the earliest opportunity.