Iraq (Hansard, 11 May 2004)

§ 19. Tom Brake
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions198W he has held with Mr. Paul Bremer on the handover of sovereignty to the Iraqi governing council from the coalition provisional authority. [171847]

§ Mr. Rammell
The Foreign Secretary has discussed the political transition process with Ambassador Bremer during his visits to Baghdad, but the handing over of sovereignty to the Iraqi Governing Council has never been coalition policy. The coalition is committed to handing over sovereignty on 30 June to an Iraqi Interim Government, whose structure and composition will be decided by the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi after consultation with a wide range of Iraqis.

§ 20. Mr. Wareing
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent findings of the Iraq survey group. [171848]

§ Mr. MacShane
The most recent published findings of the Iraq Survey Group were contained in the report of the leader of the Group Charles Duelfer, on 30 March, a copy of the unclassified version of which was placed in the Library of the House. There is nothing that I can add to the Written Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 31 March 2004,Official Report, column 94WS.

§ Mr. Best
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with investigations into Iraq's mass graves following the recommendations of the UK forensic team which visited Iraq last summer. [167870]

§ Mr. Rammell
Since the recommendations were made the UK has seconded four UK forensic experts to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) who have been leading CPA efforts on mass graves. A Mass Grave Action Plan has been produced, which details how to deal with the hundreds of reported mass grave sites. A centralised system for reporting potential sites has been set up in co-ordination with the Human Rights Ministry. Around a quarter of reported sites have been assessed. Training seminars have been held in anthropology, archaeology, surveying, crime scene management and scene searching to build Iraqi capacity to undertake mass grave exhumations. A full equipment list for exhumations has been completed and equipment is on order. In addition, the Government has funded a forensic NGO, Inforce, to produce standard protocols and operating procedures to enable Iraqis and international teams to undertake this work to the same standards.
Unfortunately, the mobility of the forensic team was severely restricted by the upsurge in violence and kidnappings in Iraq in early April. Security problems have been a major hindrance to them in doing their jobs, which include an unusually high level of travel outside of Baghdad. We have therefore withdrawn them temporarily from Iraq. The forensic team will be able to continue some of this work from outside Iraq. We hope they and other teams will be able to resume work on mass grave sites in Iraq shortly.

§ Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 27 April 2004,Official Report, column 965W, on Iraq, if he will place a copy of the Transitional 199W Administrative Law (TAL) agreed by the Iraqi Governing Council on 8 March, and the annexe to the TAL, in the Library. [171123]

§ Mr. Rammell
A copy of the Transitional Administrative Law has been placed in the Library of the House. The annexe will be added once it is completed.

§ Lynne Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 27 April 2004,Official Report, columns 964–65W, on Iraq, who will be consulted; what the consultation process will be prior to 30 June; and who will be eligible to vote to elect the Advisory Council. [171158]

§ Mr. Mike O'Brien
UN Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is leading consultations with a wide variety of Iraqis on the formation of an Interim Government. He is returning to Iraq this week to continue his consultations. He aims to make his recommendations on the structure and personnel of the Interim Government by 31 May. He will also continue consultations on his proposal for a National Conference to be held after 30 June, including the best method of selecting delegates to the Conference. The Conference will elect the Advisory Council, which will advise and monitor Ministers until elections to a Transitional National Assembly in January 2005.