Iraq (Hansard, 24 May 2004)

§ Sir Menzies Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the costs deducted from oil revenues by(a) the Coalition Provisional Authority, (b) Iraqi Government 1361W institutions and (c) other parties before the oil receipts are deposited in the Development Fund for Iraq accounts; and if he will make a statement. [173910]

§ Mr. Straw
United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483 of 22 May 2003 decided that all proceeds from the export sale of Iraq's oil should be deposited into the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). The only exception to this is that 5 per cent. of proceeds from oil should be deposited into the United Nations Compensation Fund for Kuwait established in accordance with UNSCR 687 of 1991 and subsequent relevant resolutions. As outlined in UNSCR 1483, this latter requirement will be binding on an internationally recognised sovereign government of Iraq unless that government and the Governing Council of the United Nations Compensation Commission decide otherwise. Neither the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Iraqi Government institutions, nor any other parties deduct costs from oil revenues. The CPA meets its own costs from coalition funding, and Iraqi Government Departments and agencies are funded through the Iraqi budget.

§ Hugh Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. [175409]

§ Mr. Rammell
Figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN, confirm that the Oil for Food programme (OFF)reduced the incidence of chronic malnutrition in children under five from 32 per cent. in 1996 to 25 per cent. in 2002 (WHO); reduced the mortality rate of children under five in northern Iraq from 80 per 1,000 in 1989 (i.e. before UN sanctions were imposed) to 72 in 1999 (UNICEF); increased the Iraqi ration (first introduced during the Iran-Iraq war) from 1,300 kCal to 2,215 kCal per day (UN); and reduced the incidence of tuberculosis from 78.5 cases per 100,000 in 1989 (i.e. before UN sanctions were imposed) to 43.3 cases per 100,000 in 2001 (UN).

§ Hugh Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has seen the list of names discovered by the Iraqi Governing Council in respect of the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. [175410]

§ Mr. Rammell
The Government have received copies of documents alleging corruption in the Oil for Food programme. These documents include a list of names. The documents have been passed to the appropriate investigative authority.

§ Hugh Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department has taken in respect of the Iraqi Governing Council's demand for an inquiry into the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. [175411]

§ Mr. Rammell
The UK supports both the UN and Iraqi inquiries into the allegations of corruption of the Oil for Food programme. The Secretary of State for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials met Paul Volcker, head of the independent UN inquiry, on 6 and 7 May. Ernst1362W and Young have won the contract to carry out the Iraqi investigation on behalf of the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit. We will co-operate fully with both investigations.

§ Hugh Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department first received(a) representations on and (b) reports of concerns about the conduct of the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. [175412]

§ Mr. Rammell
Over the life of the Oil for Food programme, we and other UN member states became aware of attempts to breach the Iraq sanctions regime. The Government took action in response in a range of ways according to the circumstances. These included approaches to other Governments and the UN Secretariat, and action through the United Nations Security Council to counter attempted corruption.

§ Hugh Robertson
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the number of(a) countries and (b) individuals involved in alleged corrupt practices in the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq. [175413]

§ Mr. Rammell
The Government have received copies of documents alleging corruption in the oil-for-food programme. These documents include a list of names. The documents have been passed to the appropriate investigative authority.