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Indonesia

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department's officials have recommended the suspension of arms sales to Indonesia in the last year. [208380]

Mr. Alexander: The advice of officials is an internal matter.

All export license applications for Indonesia are rigorously assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking account of the circumstances prevailing at the time.

Iran

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to (a) international organisations and (b) non-governmental organisations concerning monitors for the forthcoming Iranian presidential elections. [212069]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any such representations. We hope the elections will be free and fair, in line with Iran's international obligations. We will follow closely the election arrangements, including the vetting of candidates.

Iraq

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) officials in his Department and (c) representatives of the UK Government have had with members and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross concerning their assessment of the (i) nature and (ii) condition of the detention of Dr. Amir al-Saadi since his surrender in April 2003; and if he will make a statement. [212157]

Mr. MacShane: Dr. al-Saadi was being held by US forces as a security internee because he was deemed to pose an imperative threat to security. As such, the International Committee of the Red Cross would have had regular access to Dr. al-Saadi, as they do to all detainees held by the US. Their reports are confidentially passed to the US and Iraqi authorities. Dr. al-Saadi was released by the US on 18 January 2005.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the role played by Amir Al-Saadi in Saddam Hussein's regime from 1981 to 2003; and if he will make a statement. [212198]

Mr. MacShane: Dr. Al-Saadi is well known for his involvement in Iraq's Declaration on Weapons of Mass Destruction to the UN in December 2002. After the collapse of Saddam's regime, the US authorities in Iraq detained him as he was deemed to pose an imperative threat to security. He was released by the US on 18 January 2005.
 
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Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under whose authority Amir Al-Saadi has been detained since his surrender in April 2003; and if he will make a statement. [212208]

Mr. MacShane: The Multi-National Forces in Iraq have the authority (in accordance with Security Council resolution 1546) to intern individuals who are deemed to pose an imperative threat to security. Dr. Al-Saadi was held by the US until his release on 18 January 2005.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the Government were first informed of the allegations that the Coalition Provisional Authority had mismanaged funds during the occupation of Iraq. [214062]

Mr. MacShane: Audit reports, conducted by KPMG on behalf of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB), on Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) management of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) from 22 May to 31 December 2003 were first released by the IAMB on 15 July 2004.

Although concerns were raised about the contracting of oil sales by the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organisation and the absence of metering on Iraqi oil pipelines, the main conclusion of the auditor's report was that

"all known oil proceeds . . . have been properly and transparently accounted for in the DFI".

Audit reports by the IAMB are available at www.iamb.info.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what auditing assistance and financial administrative support the Government have (a) offered and (b) provided to the Coalition Provisional Authority during the occupation of Iraq. [214063]

Mr. MacShane: In the period up to 28 June 2004 up to six UK Government officials, and a team of professional contractors employed by the UK Government, provided financial administrative support to Iraqi Ministries and offices in Baghdad, Basra and the northern Governorates.

The auditing function of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was carried out by officials and professionals supplied by other members of the coalition, who worked alongside the firm of international auditors employed to undertake the audit of CPA management of the Development Fund for Iraq on behalf of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB). The UK was instrumental in setting up the IAMB, which oversees the auditing of Iraq's oil revenues and their management by the Coalition, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 of 22 May 2003.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK (a) personnel, (b) contractors and (c) companies are involved in the allegations of mismanagement of Iraqi reconstruction funds by the Coalition Provisional Authority. [214064]

 
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Mr. MacShane: We are not aware of any UK personnel, contractors or companies involved in allegations of mismanagement of Iraqi reconstruction funds by the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the US Special Inspector-General for Iraqi Reconstruction's report into mismanagement of funding for Iraqi reconstruction during the occupation of Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [214065]

Mr. MacShane: We welcome the work by the US Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) which is a necessary measure to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of Iraqi oil revenues. The SIGIR report examines whether the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) established and implemented adequate managerial, financial and contractual controls over disbursements made to Iraqi Ministries. The report states that CPA accounting procedures were insufficient.

CPA procedures were deficient by the standard of western governments, but the SIGIR report must be considered alongside the following points:

The difficult operating conditions in Iraq, which meant that procedures were sped up to get Ministries up and running and reconstruction projects off the ground. The alternative would have been to institute a system that could have delayed expenditure for months.

The progress made by the CPA in improving financial management in the Iraqi Ministries and of the budget process. The CPA introduced a transparent framework for management of the national budget and took measures to improve reporting and recordkeeping. But implementing measures took time, which was inevitable given the total lack of transparency under the former regime.

In addition the SIGIR report does not tally with the report by the UN-mandated International Advisory Board (IAMB) into CPA management of the Development Fund for Iraq (FPI). The IAMB was set up to oversee audits of the DFI and ensure that the objectives set forth in UNSCR 1483 were met. Although concerns were raised over the lack of metering of Iraq's oil pipelines and controls over oil sales, it concluded that

"all known oil proceeds . . . have been properly and transparently accounted for in the DFI".

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will work with the US Administration and the Iraqi Governing Authority to (a) investigate, (b) locate and (c) retrieve mismanaged Coalition Provisional Authority funding distributed during the occupation of Iraq found to be the result of fraudulent transactions. [214066]

Mr. MacShane: With respect to the report by the US Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him today (U1N 214065). The International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) has also reported its main finding in respect of Coalition
 
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management of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) that "all known oil proceeds . . . have been properly and transparently accounted for in the DFI". The UK Government will continue to work with the Iraqi Government, the US Administration and the IAMB to ensure the proper and transparent management of Iraq's oil revenues.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received concerning the provision of legal representation to Amir Al-Saadi since his surrender in April 2003; and if he will make a statement. [212211]

Mr. MacShane: Dr. Al-Saadi was held by the US authorities in accordance with UNSCR 1546 as he was deemed to pose an imperative threat to security. Our understanding is that the US does not permit access by legal advisers to security internees because their detention is based on sensitive intelligence/security concerns. Dr. Al-Saadi was released by the US on 18 January 2005.

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