Written question asked by David Lidington (Conservative) on Wednesday, 4 November 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 November 2009. It was answered by Ivan Lewis (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 November 2009 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Armed Conflict

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long on average elapsed between the announcement of the (a) asylum and (b) financial payment scheme for former Iraqi locally employed civilians and the first former Iraqi locally employed civilians leaving Iraq for a neighbouring country under the scheme.

Answer: The Locally Engaged Staff Assistance Scheme for former locally employed staff included the options of resettlement in the UK or a financial settlement. This was announced in a written ministerial statement by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 30 October 2007, Official Report, column 29WS. The first former Iraqi locally employed staff who opted for resettlement under the Gateway Refugee Resettlement Programme left Iraq at the end of April 2008 for a neighbouring third country.

Secondary information