Iraq (Hansard, 30 June 2003)

§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what action UK forces are taking to ensure that children in Iraq are receiving an education; and if she will make a statement. [121615]

§ Hilary Benn
The UK military in Iraq are working to maintain a secure environment in which it is safe for schools to operate normally. They have also carried out a number of projects to restore public services in the south of Iraq.
UNICEF, UNESCO and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) are working with the Iraqi Ministry of Education to get schools back up and running as soon as possible. 500 "school in a box" kits have been distributed to encourage the immediate reopening of schools. Funding is also being made available through US Agency for International Development contractors to rehabilitate 6,000 schools and provide school equipment. The CPA has announced that over 60 per cent. of Iraq's schools are now open. The school year has been extended by a month to help make up for the time that children were unable to go to school during the conflict.

§ Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if she will make a statement on the UK preparations for the return of Iraqi refugees; and what action is being taken to alleviate the burden of refugees in Iran. [122246]
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§ Hilary Benn
As many as 500,000 refugees and asylum seekers may wish to return to Iraq once the situation in the country stabilises. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) is consulting host countries and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) over repatriation arrangements for the 214,000 refugees in neighbouring countries, mainly Iran. The CPA is not yet in a position to facilitate returnees, but is making preparations to do so, with the support of DFID staff.
The Government restarted the processing of Iraq asylum claims in the United Kingdom on 16 June following a moratorium requested by UNHCR because of the war. It is now possible for Iraqis who wish to return from the UK to do so under a programme administered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Only voluntary returns are being assisted at this stage.