HC Deb 12 May 2003 vol 405 cc79-82W
Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for the management of Iraqi oil revenues; and if he will make a statement. [110981]

Mr. Mike OBrien

We plan to discuss the management of Iraqs oil sector, including oil revenues, with coalition partners and other members of the UN Security Council and with an Iraqi interim authority when one is established. As we have consistently made clear, Iraqi oil revenues should be used for the good of the Iraqi people.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with(a) his United States counterpart and (b) other representatives of the United States administration, in respect of the appropriate way to interrogate and incarcerate former members of the former (i) government and (ii) military leadership of Iraq who are apprehended; and what discussions have taken place about the form of trial that may be necessary to deal with such prisoners. [111239]

Mr. Mike OBrien

Officials have been in discussion with their US counterparts over the handling of prisoners of war in Iraq and the mechanism(s) that may be necessary to bring them to justice. There are strong arguments for allowing the Iraqis to take responsibility for this, with suitable international help. We are working with the US to assess the capacity of the judicial system in Iraq to deal with serious crimes such as crimes against humanity. Clearly, any new arrangements will require the approval of the Iraqi people.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of sensitive information relating to British diplomacy passing between Russia and Iraq in recent months. [111461]

Mr. Mike OBrien

We have no authoritative reporting on this.

Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK embassies in EU countries have required additional protection since the start of the Iraq conflict; and if he will make a statement. [111479]

Mr. Rammell

The security of British Diplomatic Missions overseas is subject to constant and ongoing review, and protective measures are deployed where they are considered necessary. This has been the case for Embassies within the EU as well as elsewhere. Due to security Issues, I am withholding further information under exemption 4(e) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department had with the Iraqi Patriotic Union prior to 28 April. [111585]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The FCO has maintained close and regular contact with the PUK at a variety of levels over many years in London, Ankara, Tehran, northern Iraq and elsewhere. I most recently met Barham Salih, head of the PUK administration in northern Iraq, in London on 17 March 2003. I also met representatives of a group of Iraqi parties, including the PUK, on 27 March.

Members of the PUK attended the Baghdad conference on 28 April and I spoke to a number of Kurds there, some of whom were probably PUK although that issue did not arise.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence was provided by the United Kingdom to the members of the United Nations Security Council to demonstrate Iraqs possession of weapons of mass destruction in support of preambular paragraphs 3 and 6 of Security Council Resolution 144 (2002) prior to the vote on the resolution on 8th November 2002. [111701]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The information on which the text in preambular paragraphs 3 and 6 of UN Security Council Resolution 1441 came from UNSCOMs reports of their findings in Iraq during the 1990s. UNSCOM repeatedly stated that Iraqs declarations concerning their WMD programmes were incomplete and that Iraq was concealing the real extent of their programmes.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Government plans to achieve independent verification of the discovery of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. [111702]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The Government appreciates the need for credible, independent validation of any discoveries made by coalition forces. We are actively looking at means to ensure such validation.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the removal of(a) weapons of mass destruction and (b) weapons of mass destruction material by members of (i) the Baath Party and (ii) the former Iraqi Government. [111703]

Mr. Mike OBrien

There have been a number of media reports suggesting that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the material for such weapons have been removed from Iraq.

At this stage we have not substantiated these reports.

Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he intends to take to make provision for UNMOVIC inspectors to return to the permissive areas south of Baghdad. [111704]

Mr. Mike OBrien

Dr. Blix has himself stated that the circumstances are not right for the return of UN inspectors at present. If and when they do return, their tasks would have changed; their focus would be on monitoring and verification rather than detection. That would call for different skills, and some restructuring of their operation would be necessary.

Glenda Jackson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the UN Security Council on the re-introduction of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq to validate and oversee the destruction of weapons of mass destruction, should such weapons be found. [111716]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The Government appreciate the need for credible, independent validation of any discoveries made, and we are engaged in discussion over how best to ensure this. UNMOVIC and the IAEA would be an option to provide such validation.

Tony Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge that alleged Iraqi war criminals should be tried in the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement on his policy relating to offences committed by the previous Iraqi regime. [111807]

Mr. Rammell

The International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction prior to 1 July 2002, the date when the Rome Statute came into force. As Iraq is not a Party to the Statute, a Security Council Resolution referring a situation to the Court, or a declaration by a new Iraqi governing authority accepting the jurisdiction of the Court in relation to an alleged crime, would be required for the ICC to consider any situation arising since that date.

We shall need to consult the Iraqis as to their wishes in relation to crimes committed against them by the previous Iraqi regime. There are strong arguments in favour of an Iraqi-led process. But international assistance is likely to be required. The present state of the Iraqi judicial system needs to be assessed. We are working closely with coalition partners on this.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advocacy he has undertaken on behalf of British companies with regard to the rebuilding of Iraq; and if he will list the companies that have secured contracts. [112101]

Ms Hewitt

[holding answer 8 May 2003]: I have been asked to reply.

We expect UK companies to play a significant role in the redevelopment of post-conflict Iraq. In the short-term, US funded contracts are likely to be the main source of opportunities for UK companies on a subcontract basis. In this context, I have spoken to the US authorities, including Andrew Natsios of US AID. While we expect UK companies to win contracts, they are not obliged to inform us if and when they do so.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of(a) the International Atomic Energy Agency and (b) the Government of the United States of America concerning the request by the IAEA that an IAEA investigative mission be allowed to examine the condition of Iraqs nuclear facilities. [112374]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The Director-General of the IAEA, Dr. Mohamed El-Baradei, is today (12 May) in London for discussions with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on a number of issues of mutual concern. The question of renewed IAEA visits to Iraq is one of the subjects that will be discussed.

We continue to discuss all issues relating to future Iraq policy with the Government of the United States.

Dr. Strang

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the United States of America in support of the request of the International Atomic Energy Agency that an IAEA investigative mission be allowed to examine the condition of Iraqs nuclear facilities. [112375]

Mr. Mike OBrien

The matter of a return by IAEA inspectors to Iraq to continue their monitoring tasks is among a number of issues relating to the monitoring and verification of Iraqs weapons and nuclear energy programmes, which we have discussed with the Government of the United States.

The timing of any eventual IAEA return must be judged in the light of circumstances in Iraq, including the security situation.

We will continue to discuss with the US Government all issues relating to future Iraq policy.

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