Written question asked by Llew Smith (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 July 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 September 2004. It was answered by Denis MacShane (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 September 2004 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of Iraq's declaration of the status of its programmes of weapons of mass destruction, provided to the United Nations on 8th December 2002, had been translated up to 19th March 2003; what proportion has been translated to date; what plans there are for further translation; what efforts have been made to verify details of the declaration through the work of the Iraq Survey Group; and what plans he has to make public all or part of the translated text.

Answer: Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Iraq's declaration of the status of its programmes of weapons of mass destruction, provided to the United Nations on 8 December 2002, had been translated up to 19 March 2003; what proportion has been translated to date; what plans there are for further translation; what efforts have been made to verify details of the declaration through the work of the Iraq Survey Group; and what plans he has to make public all or part of the translated text. [186182] Mr. MacShane: Translation of the Iraqi declaration was complete by 19 March 2003. The Iraq Survey Group was not tasked with verifying the December 2002 declaration. The declaration was required by UN Security Council Resolution 1441. It is for the UN to decide whether to publish any part of the declaration.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 424 c683-4W; 186182
Session: 2003-04
Subjects: Disclosure of information Chemical and biological warfare Iraq Languages Publications United Nations Weapons Iraq Survey Group
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk