§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has collated on the US Government's compliance with its obligations under the chemical weapons convention. [52056]
§ Mr. BradshawThe United States is a state party to the chemical weapons convention. We have no reason to believe that it is not fully compliant with its obligations.
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will support the efforts of the US Government to remove the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; and if he will make a statement. [52054]
§ Mr. BradshawI refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Joan Ruddock) on 24 April 2002,Official Report, column 294W.
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to encourage the UN Security Council to back OPCW's bid to persuade the Iraqi Government to sign the chemical weapons convention. [52055]
§ Mr. BradshawUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1284 mandated the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) to inspect, monitor and, if necessary, destroy Iraq's chemical and biological weapons and its ballistic missile systems. The first priority must be to ensure that UNMOVIC has access to Iraq to carry out its mandate and to uphold the authority of the United Nations.
The UK fully supports OPCW's efforts to achieve universal ratification of the chemical weapons convention. Iraq could, of course, ratify CWC tomorrow, but this should not in any way undermine UNMOVIC's mandate.