§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Prime Minister what contingency preparations he authorised civil servants to make for his resignation before the parliamentary vote on war with Iraq. [111216]
§ The Prime MinisterNone.
§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Prime Minister what representations he received, from whom and when, between 1 January and 20 April, regarding the threat of looting of antiquities in Iraq; what his response was; and if he will make a statement. [110615]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 1 May 2003]: We continue to receive a large number of representations on a wide range of issues concerning Iraq. Some of these have been about looting. The Coalition consulted widely before the commencement of the military campaign on the risks to ancient historical and archaeological sites. We have stressed our commitment to protecting such sites. We want to protect resources for all Iraqis and will take what measures are necessary to do this.
558WExperts from the MacDonald Institute of Archaeology, the British Museum and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be going to Iraq shortly to assist their Iraqi colleagues.