Written question asked by Clare Short (Labour) on Wednesday, 14 July 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 July 2004. It was answered by Tony Blair (Labour) on Monday, 19 July 2004 on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister

Question: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his statement of 14th July on the Butler report, what information caused him to decide on 15th March 2003 that it was his unequivocal view that Iraq was in further material breach of Resolution 1441; what account he took of Dr Hans Blix's recent report on increased co-operation from the Iraqi authorities and his request for more time for inspections; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Clare Short: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his statement of 14 July on the Butler report, what information caused him to decide on 15 March 2003 that it was his unequivocal view that Iraq was in further material breach of Resolution 1441; what account he took of Dr. Hans Blix's recent report on increased co- operation from the Iraqi authorities and his request for more time for inspections; and if he will make a statement. [185082] The Prime Minister: Iraq was in further material breach under Operative Paragraph 4 of UNSCR 1441 because of "false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted by Iraq pursuant to this resolution and failure by Iraq to comply with, and cooperate fully in the implementation of this resolution." As Lord Butler said in his report "We have been told that, in coining to this view, the Prime Minister took account both of the overall intelligence picture and of information from a wide range of other sources, including especially UNMOVIC information." (paragraph 385, HC 898)

Secondary information