§ 29. Phil SawfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the United States Government on the subject of terrorist activity in Iraq. [40927]
§ Mr. HoonI have regular discussions with the United States Government on a wide range of issues, including all aspects of policy towards Iraq and the campaign against international terrorism. We share the concerns of all responsible Governments about Iraq's support for terrorism and its development of weapons of mass destruction.
§ David WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many missions the Royal Air Force has undertaken over Iraqi airspace in the last 12 months. [41423]
§ Mr. IngramRAF aircraft undertake a range of missions as part of multinational no-fly-zone enforcement operations. A single no-fly-zone (NFZ) patrol involves multiple aircraft types performing individual missions in an integrated package.
Between 1 March 2001 and 28 February 2002 RAF aircraft entered Iraqi airspace as part of a coalition patrol package on 130 occasions in the northern NFZ and 220 occasions in the southern. During these patrols they undertook 1,274 missions.