Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 24 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 26 July 2007. It was answered by Meg Munn (Labour) on Thursday, 26 July 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Local Government

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will give support to the establishment in the Nineveh Plains and the Al-Shikhan and Al-Handaniya districts of Iraq of a province linked to the central government in Baghdad for the Chaldo Assyrians and others historically connected to that area; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Any decision regarding the establishment of new provinces in Iraq is a matter for the democratically elected Iraqi Government and the Iraqi people themselves. We remain opposed to dividing the country or creating enclaves along ethnic or sectarian lines. Many cities and areas of Iraq, including in Ninawa province, have strongly mixed ethnic and religious communities. While creating enclaves may hold superficial appeal, in practice this would be difficult to arrange and carry a significant risk of worsening, not alleviating violence.

Secondary information