Written question asked by Hugh Robertson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 May 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 May 2004. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Monday, 24 May 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 recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq.- Inc figures.

Answer: Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UN Oil for Food programme in Iraq. [175409] Mr. Rammell: Figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN, confirm that the Oil for Food programme (OFF): reduced the incidence of chronic malnutrition in children under five from 32 per cent. in 1996 to 25 per cent. in 2002 (WHO); reduced the mortality rate of children under five in northern Iraq from 80 per 1,000 in 1989 (i.e. before UN sanctions were imposed) to 72 in 1999 (UNICEF); increased the Iraqi ration (first introduced during the Iran-Iraq war) from 1,300 kCal to 2,215 kCal per day (UN); and reduced the incidence of tuberculosis from 78.5 cases per 100,000 in 1989 (i.e. before UN sanctions were imposed) to 43.3 cases per 100,000 in 2001 (UN).

Secondary information