§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What amount of funds administered by the United Nations for the benefit of Iraq under Resolution 986 are currently unspent; what amount is unspent within the quota allocated to the Kurdish Autonomous Region; and whether they will ask the United Kingdom authorities to speed up payments to worthwhile projects throughout the whole of the Kurdish region. [HL2139]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanAbout 3.5 billion US dollars of humanitarian funds from the UN Oil for Food (OFF) programme remains unspent by Iraq in UN accounts. A similar amount is unspent within the quota allocated to the three northern governorates.
The UK regularly raises with the UN the issue of speeding up the placement of contracts in the north. It should also be noted that the UN Secretary General's latest report on the OFF programme (19 November 2001) criticises Iraq for obstructing the operation of the OFF programme in the north. The Government of Iraq have been responsible for delaying and/or refusing to grant the required visas for UN personnel and delaying the clearance of imports of essential supplies and equipment required for programme implementation in the north.
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§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action is being taken by international agencies to prevent the expulsion of minority peoples from areas controlled by the Government of Iraq. [HL2140]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanAlthough there are international agencies operating in Baghdad-controlled Iraq, they are not able adequately to monitor or influence the situation in the Kirkuk governorate where Saddam Hussein has been conducting an "arabisation" campaign. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Andreas Mavrommatis, has highlighted the situation in his report but he has been denied access to Iraq by the Government of Iraq.
Those minorities expelled from Kirkuk are given humanitarian assistance by the Unted Nations and international NGOs on arrival in northern Iraq.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will ask the United Nations to examine ways in which the inhabitants of the Kurdish Autonomous Region could be provided with valid travel documents. [HL2141]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe inhabitants of northern Iraq are Iraqi citizens and it is therefore the responsibility of the Government of Iraq to issue them with passports. However, HMG are aware of the difficulties faced by those living in northern Iraq in obtaining travel documents and are exploring possible solutions to the problem with the United Nations.
§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are seeking to achieve greater binding force for the United Nations Resolution 688; and what they believe to be the best means to that end. [HL2142]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanNo. The no-fly zones were established in support of UN Resolution 688 and are justified under international law in response to a situation of overwhelming humanitarian necessity.