Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Thursday, 8 May 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 May 2008. It was answered by Meg Munn (Labour) on Thursday, 15 May 2008 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the safety and security of Iraqi citizens in Iraq.

Answer: UK forces have consistently taken firm action against rogue militias and criminal elements who seek to undermine or oppose progress in Iraq. We have so far trained over 20,000 army personnel and over 22,000 police officers. In addition, we put significant time and resources into improving the safety and security of Iraqi citizens and are now involved in training all companies of the Iraqi Army 14 Division.The Government funded civilian project teams continue to mentor and develop key leaders in the Iraqi Police Service and Ministry of Interior. Our objective is to allow these leaders to develop the capacity to take control of their own security.The UK is also working with the Government of Iraq in developing human rights legislation, including the setting up of a National Human Rights Commission. We continue to lobby the Government of Iraq at the highest level on the treatment of those in Iraqi detention to ensure that the rights of Iraqi citizens are upheld.

Secondary information