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Iraq

14. Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Iraq survey group. [157426]

Mr. MacShane: The Iraq Survey Group is continuing to undertake investigations at sites throughout Iraq in its search for evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes. The Group is also engaged on translation of the huge volume of documents that it has collected, and is interviewing scientists and others who were previously employed on Iraq's weapons programmes.

They will produce a further progress report in due course.

16. Mr. Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to establish who was responsible for forging documents relating to attempts by Iraq to obtain uranium from Niger. [157428]

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Mr. MacShane: We have repeatedly made clear that our assessment that Iraq sought to procure uranium from Africa was not based upon the documents submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency which subsequently were identified as forgeries. Since these documents did not have any bearing on our assessment, the Government has taken no steps to identify the forgers.

21. Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office what recent discussions he has had with the UN about its future involvement in Iraq. [157433]

Mr. Rammell: We are in regular discussion with representatives of the United Nations, at ministerial and official level, concerning its involvement in the reconstruction of Iraq. We warmly welcome the Secretary-General's recent report on the future political process in Iraq and its proposals on UN involvement.

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the senior members of the former Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein detained by the Coalition Provisional Authority; how many are being held in Iraq; how many are being held outside Iraq; and at what locations. [145181]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 5 January 2004]: I have been asked to reply.

The status of the 55 "most wanted" members of the former Iraqi regime may be found on the website of the US Central Military Command. The relevant website address is: www.centcom.mil/operations/Iraqi-freedom/55mostwanted.htm.

All those in Coalition custody are currently held in Iraq at undisclosed locations.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by whom, and under what authority, the leaders of Saddam Hussein's regime will be brought to trial. [157020]

Mr. Rammell: It is for the Iraqis to decide how to try senior members of the former regime. In December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) established a Special Tribunal to fulfil such a task. The IGC are in the process of agreeing the rules and procedures of the Tribunal.

Gibraltar

15. Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will be taking to celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of British possession of Gibraltar. [157427]

Mr. MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) earlier today.

As my right hon. Friend, the Defence Secretary, said in this House on 27 November last year, we intend to play a full part in celebrating the warm relationship that we have enjoyed with the people of Gibraltar for the past 300 years. Units of HM Armed Forces will take part in a total of more than 20 events throughout the year. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is grateful to my noble Friend Baroness Symons for representing him at the Service of Thanksgiving and

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Celebration now taking place at St. Clement Danes. As he told the Chief Minister of Gibraltar earlier this month, he sends his very best wishes for the Service, and for this Tercentenary year.

Zimbabwe

17. Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on sanctions against Zimbabwe. [157429]

Mr. Mullin: Our policy, and that of our EU partners, is to use targeted measures against Zimbabwe's leadership as a means of pressing it to return to democratic governance which respects human rights and the rule of law. We do not support economic or trade sanctions, as these would have a negative impact on all Zimbabweans. The EU measures are targeted on the ZANU(PF) leadership and on those who are responsible for human rights abuses and do not impact on ordinary Zimbabweans. On 19 February the EU agreed, by consensus, to continue with the targeted measures for another year and to extend from 79 to 95 the number of people on the travel ban and assets freeze.

Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Commonwealth governments about tightening sanctions against members of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. [157016]

Mr. Mullin: There are no Commonwealth sanctions on Zimbabwe. The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from its Councils in 2002. Commonwealth Heads of Government decided to continue the suspension when they met in Nigeria in December 2003. Following that decision Mugabe decided to withdraw Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. The EU does have targeted measures against Zimbabwe consisting of a travel ban, assets freeze and arms embargo. On 19 February the EU decided to continue these measures for another year and to extend by 16 the number of people on the travel ban and assets freeze. The measures are now targeted on 95 people.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to assist in the restoration of freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe. [157420]

Mr. Straw: The Government are providing practical and political support to civil society, human rights organisations and all those in Zimbabwe who want to see an early return to a democratically accountable government which respects human rights and the rule of law.

We are providing humanitarian assistance to millions of Zimbabwean people on the basis of need.

We are encouraging the South African government, and others in the region, to push for a return to democracy and freedom.

We have been a consistent advocate of a robust international approach. In December, we argued successfully to maintain Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth. Mugabe has since withdrawn from

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the Commonwealth, demonstrating that he is now incapable of meeting the Harare principles which he helped to establish.

This week, the EU extended sanctions against the Mugabe regime, rightly standing with the people of Zimbabwe, and against those responsible—Mugabe and his government—for bringing a once prosperous and successful state to the edge of total collapse. The number of those caught by the sanctions now rises from 79 to 95. Those we have added to the list include several individuals who bear particular responsibility for the abuses of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's opposition party welcomed this move, saying it was "a clear indication that the international community will not fold its arms while the regime in Zimbabwe continues to trample upon people's basic human rights".

Abdul Quader Khan

18. Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of action taken to break up the network of Abdul Quader Khan since 18 December 1979. [157430]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The intelligence community in the UK and in the US have been working on this network for several years—they identified it, monitored it, penetrated it, and finally took action against it with the result we have seen in recent weeks. We, the US Government and other Governments are now engaged in winding it up.

Northern Uganda

19. Valerie Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office what action he has taken following the recent massacre and ensuing violence in Northern Uganda. [157431]

Mr. Mullin: This Government deplores the brutal massacre of around 200 innocent civilians in a camp for internally displaced persons in northern Uganda which took place on 21 February. We are also extremely concerned about the ensuing inter-ethnic violence in Lira and Gulu. We are urging the Government of Uganda and local religious and community leaders to restore calm.

A UN Humanitarian Assessment Team is now in the Barlonyo area. Relief supplies have begun to be distributed to the survivors. Serious burns victims have been moved to Lira Hospital. The British High Commission and DFID remains in close contact with the United Nations and other agencies on the ground. UN assistance includes contributions from the UK.

Saddam Hussein

20. Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office where Saddam Hussein is being held; and what legal procedures are to be taken against him. [157432]

Mr. Rammell: Saddam Hussein is being held as a prisoner of war by the US in Iraq. It is coalition policy not to disclose the precise location of detainees for

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security reasons. It is for the Iraqis to decide what legal procedures should be taken against him. In December, the Iraqi Governing Council established a Special Tribunal to try senior members of the former regime. Iraqis are currently discussing the rules and procedures for this tribunal.

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