§ Mr. PriskTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions his Department has taken to secure the reinstatement of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. [43530]
§ Mr. BradshawWe have continuously urged Iraq to co-operate with the UN, particularly on weapons inspections. Security Council Resolution 1284—a UK initiative—offered for the first time the suspension of UN sanctions as an interim step pending the complete elimination of Iraq's WMD, which would in turn lead to the full lifting of sanctions. We support the efforts of the UN Secretary General to persuade Iraq to co-operate with the UN through renewed dialogue, while making clear that there can be no watering down of Iraq's obligations under UN resolutions.