Written question asked by Emily Thornberry (Labour) on Friday, 21 April 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 25 April 2017. It was answered by Boris Johnson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Chemical Weapons

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Iraqi authorities in (a) investigating reports of attacks using chemical weapons in that country, (b) establishing responsibility for such attacks and (c) bringing the perpetrators of such attacks to justice.

Answer: We welcome the Government of Iraq's decision to invite the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to support its investigations into chemical weapons use in Iraq. Iraq's findings confirmed the use of sulphur mustard in Iraq by a non-State actor in 2015 and 2016. We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone anywhere. Those who commit such atrocities must be held accountable. We continue to work with Iraq and other international partners.

Secondary information