Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 12 December 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 December 2016 (named day). It was answered by Tobias Ellwood (Conservative) on Thursday, 15 December 2016 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Dams

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the structural integrity of the Mosul Dam; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: We remain extremely concerned about the structural integrity of Mosul Dam as there is a risk it could fail. The Government of Iraq, with assistance from the international community, has begun to take measures to improve the structural integrity of the dam. We anticipate those measures will begin to reduce the risk of dam failure over time. It is currently impossible to accurately predict if or when a failure might occur. A failure could lead to major flooding in the Tigris river valley, from Mosul to Baghdad.

Secondary information