§ Mr. Patrick HallTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment he has made of the role in the reconstruction of Iraq of the privatisation of state-owned enterprises being pursued by the Private Sector Development Department of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority; [143302]
(2) if he will make a statement on the privatisation of Iraqi state-owned enterprises being pursued by the Private Sector Development Department of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority; and if he will make a statement on compatibility of such action with Article 55 of Section III of the Annex to the Hague Convention (IV) 1907. [143303]
§ Hilary BennNo decision has been made on the privatisation of Iraqi state-owned enterprises. As Paul Bremer, the US Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, stated at the Madrid Conference,
Decisions on that matter [privatisation of Iraqi State Owned Enterprises] will be made in due course by Iraqi authorities".