HC Deb 10 March 2004 vol 418 cc1530-1W
Norman Lamb

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 15 December 2003,Official Report,column 733W, on Iraq, if he will make a statement on the extent of the involvement of Mr. Nadhmi Auchi in the company which has been awarded the licence for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in the central region of Iraq including Baghdad. [149424]

Mr. Rammell

The Coalition Provisional Authority has informed us that the licence for the central Iraq sector, including Baghdad, was awarded to Orascom Iraq Holding Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, an Egyptian joint stock company. As the company is registered outside the UK, we are not in a position to verify information on its shareholders. Only UK registered companies are required to list their shareholders with Companies House.

Norman Lamb

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of investigations by the Pentagon Inspector General into the awarding of contracts for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [149438]

Mr. Rammell

We have asked the United States Government for clarification and are awaiting a response.

Sir Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on(a)the 28 February deadline for the approval of the Fundamental Law in Iraq and (b)the 31 May deadline for elections to the transitional assembly. [158148]

Mr. Straw

[holding answer 9 March 2004]:The Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) was signed by the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) on 8 March after intensive debate. The agreement on a TAL is a great achievement. The UN's recent report on the holding of the elections in Iraq concluded that properly organised elections to a Transitional National Assembly would not be feasible until late 2004 at the earliest and more probably early 2005. The IGC and the CPA have accepted the UN's recommendations on timings for the elections.

Sir Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what security arrangements have been agreed between the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council; what time limits are attached to those agreements; what requirements they place on any future provisional government of Iraq; what their basis is in(a)Iraqi and (b)international law; and if he will make a statement. [158149]

Mr. Straw

[holding answer 9 March 2004]:The status of multinational forces in Iraq and the legal mandate that will govern their presence and operations after the handover of authority to an Iraqi Government remain under consideration.