Iraq (Hansard, 24 October 2002)

§ Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of all(a) reports produced by and (b) communications with The United Nations Inspection Body for Iraq, since the end of 1998. [75869]

§ Mr. MacShane
UNMOVIC's reports are available on the UNMOVIC website (http://www.un.org/Depts/ unmovic/index.htm).

The Government
has been in routine contact with UNMOVIC over the organisation of the advanced training courses for UNMOVIC inspectors which it has funded. Officials also have regular contact with staff of UNMOVIC in New York, as we do with other UN organisations. The Director-General of UNMOVIC Dr. Hans Blix has visited the UK on a number of occasions since UNMOVIC was established, and has held discussions with officials and Ministers. The content of such exchanges is confidential. (Code of Practice on access to Government Information Part 2 Exemption 1a, information whose disclosure would harm national security or defence). Although Dr. Blix has made himself available for media interviews and meetings.

§ Ms Atherton
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what goods on the Military List have recently been approved for export to Iraq. [77621]

§ Mr. MacShane
Following consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry recently approved a licence to export laboratory equipment to UNESCO for use by the Suleymaniyah Technical Institute in Northern Iraq. The export included potassium cyanide and hydrofluoric acid which are subject to the Dual-Use Items (Export Control) Regulations 2000 as amended. HMG is confident that there is no proliferation threat associated with this export.
The UN Iraq Sanctions Committee approved this export to Iraq under the Oil for Food programme (OFF). Under OFF Iraq is allowed to export unlimited quantities of oil to fund the purchase of humanitarian goods. The export is consistent with the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.
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