Written question asked by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Malloch-Brown (Labour) on Tuesday, 25 November 2008.

Iraq: Visas

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their current assessment of the security situation in the Kurdistan region of Iraq for the purposes of considering whether to extend visa issuing facilities to Erbil.

Answer: Compared with the rest of Iraq, the general security situation in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) administered area is relatively benign. There are, however, still isolated attacks within the KRG. During my recent visit to Iraq, I discussed the current visa operation with the KRG, the Government of Iraq and our ambassador, and the need to reconsider the current limited service. There are ongoing discussions between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Border Agency officials on the scope of the visa service in Iraq and our assessment of the security situation.

Secondary information