Iraq

Oral Answers to Questions — Health – in the House of Commons at 12:31 pm on 22 July 2008.

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Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party 12:31, 22 July 2008

Following my visit last weekend to Baghdad and Basra, I would like to update the House on the latest developments in Iraq.

Let me start by paying tribute to the British servicemen and women who have served in Iraq with distinction since March 2003; in particular, I pay tribute to those who have given their lives in service of our country. I know that the whole House will join me in honouring the memory of the fallen and saluting the courage of all our military and civilian personnel. The House will also want to know that during my visit I had discussions with Prime Minister Maliki about the British hostages who have been unjustifiably held for more than one year. We want them released immediately, and I will continue to update the House on progress.

As I set out in my October statement, our objective is the creation of an independent, prosperous, democratic Iraq that is free of terrorist violence, secure within its borders and a stable presence in the region—something that is firmly in Britain's interests and in the interests of the world as a whole. To achieve this, we have sought with America and other allies to support the Iraqi Government as they now take on greater responsibility for their own security and safeguarding their new democracy, challenging those—whether terrorists, insurgents or militia—who threaten their citizens and undermine the rule of law. We have also sought to foster democratic and accountable government and support national reconciliation, giving all of Iraq's communities a genuine say in the future of their country, and we have worked to help the Iraqis build their economy and give their people an economic stake in the future.

In the last year, this has led us to pursue the strategy of overwatch, which is to move from a combat role to the training and mentoring of the Iraqi forces and the Iraqi police, to encourage the development of local government and to work with the Iraqis on a Basra economic development strategy.

In recent months, conditions in Basra have shown a marked improvement. Incidents of indirect fire against British troops in the Basra air station have fallen from 200 a month at their peak last summer to an average of fewer than five a month since April this year. As the all-party House of Commons Defence Committee, which has visited Iraq recently, says in its report today, the security situation in Basra has been "transformed".

As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker confirmed to me in Baghdad at the weekend, thanks to operations by Iraqi and coalition security forces, violent incidents right across Iraq are at their lowest level since 2004. Sunni groups have now joined the Iraqi and American forces in driving al-Qaeda from areas where it had been able to terrorise the population, and Iraqi troops, with British and American support, have had success against the illegal Shi'a militias, giving the Government of Iraq more control over the country. Of course, this progress—often fragile—cannot be taken for granted. Millions of Iraqis are still refugees, either inside Iraq or in other countries; and the two car bombs that were detonated at the gates of an Iraqi army recruitment centre on 15 July remind us that there are groups still determined to inflict violence.

The most important development is that the improvements that we have seen have been increasingly Iraqi-led. Security responsibility for 10 of 18 provinces has now transferred to Iraqi control, including all four provinces in Britain's area of operations. Iraqi security forces are now taking the lead in maintaining security and confronting all those who perpetrate violence, including acting decisively against Shi'a militia in Basra, Sadr City and Amarah; and they have been supported by local people from across Iraqi communities—Sunni, Shi'a and Kurd. Britain has already helped to train more than 20,000 Iraqi army troops, but I want to pay credit to Prime Minister Maliki, his Government and the Iraqi security forces, who have shown bravery and leadership in tackling the terrorists and militias threatening the stability of their country.

The improved security situation has provided a platform for further, essential progress on reconciliation. We have seen not only increased co-operation between Sunni communities and the Iraqi Government in areas such as Anbar and Mosul, and the return of the Tawafuq Sunni party to the Government, but the passage of key legislation that is helping to embed democracy, including the accountability and justice law, the provincial powers law, and now the 2008 budget. The next stage will be provincial elections, reinforcing the political progress made at the national level. Our message to the leaders of all Iraq's communities, and to parties right across the country, is that they must continue to make these right long-term decisions to achieve a sustainable peace.

It is also important, as we move forward, that we see Iraq's neighbours playing a constructive and responsible role in Iraq's future. In particular, Syria should clamp down on the movement of foreign fighters. Iran must stop the provision of arms and training to those who attack a democratically elected Government in Iraq or the coalition forces in Iraq, and the Iraqi people.

We will also continue to focus on helping the Iraqi Government to rebuild their economy and ensuring that the Iraqi people all have a stake in the future. British-led projects in southern Iraq have now helped to deliver enough electricity to supply 800,000 people and water supplies for over 1 million people, with this year another 120,000 people due to get power and 250,000 to gain access to direct supplies of water. Our funding has helped the UN and World Bank to repair and re-equip 1,000 health centres and more than 5,000 schools, and to train nearly 150,000 teachers. With British training and equipment, including upgrades to air traffic control systems, lighting and firefighting, Iraqi personnel are regularly handling more than 20 civil flights a week at Basra airport. British mentoring and support has helped Basra provincial council to gain access to $400 million in central Government funds—money that, in line with the council's increasing ability to take the lead itself, it is now able to spend further to improve infrastructure and to provide the essential public services of power, water, health and education.

Last week, the Basra development commission agreed an outline economic strategy for Basra that sets out plans to encourage private sector and foreign investment. Britain is supporting the new Basra investment promotion agency, which I visited at the weekend, and supporting the Basra development fund to provide loans to small and start-up businesses, which will be key drivers of economic growth and job creation. I am grateful for the work of Mr. Michael Wareing, a leading British businessman, who co-chairs the Basra development commission.

Nine months ago, I set out the key elements of our strategy for handing over security in Basra to the Iraqis and set out the stages for completing the tasks that we have set ourselves. We completed the initial phase on target, handing over Basra to provincial Iraqi control in December. This allowed us to reduce troop numbers in southern Iraq from 5,500 in September to 4,500. After the Iraqi Government launched Operation Charge of the Knights to enforce the rule of law in Basra against the militias, as my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary explained to the House in April, the military advice was that we should pause the further planned reduction so that British troops, together with US forces, could support the Iraqis in this crucial operation.

Since then, we have responded to changing needs and embedded more than 800 UK personnel within the Iraqi command structure—at divisional, brigade and battalion level. The focus of the 4,100 forces still in southern Iraq is now on completing the task of training and mentoring the 14th division of the Iraqi army in Basra, and it is right that, as we do so, we continue for the next few months to provide support at those levels. Other remaining military tasks—agreed with the Government of Iraq and in close consultation with our US allies—include finalising the preparation of Basra airport for civilian control, and continuing to develop the capacity of the Iraqi navy and marines so that they can protect oil platforms, territorial waters and the port, which are all critical to Iraq's economic future.

It is now right to complete the tasks we have set ourselves. We expect the Basra development commission to publish its detailed economic development plan in the autumn. We hope that local government elections will take place by the end of 2008. Subject to security conditions on the ground, our military commanders believe that the Iraqis will be able to take over development of Basra airport by the end of this year. They also expect the first stage of the general training and mentoring of the combat troops of the 14th division in Basra to be complete around the turn of the year. As the focus shifts from training combat troops, we will move forward to the specific task of mentoring headquarters and specialist staffs, and our military commanders expect the 14th division in Basra to be fully trained during the first months of next year.

As we complete these tasks, and as progress continues in these different areas, we will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq. Of course, future decisions will, as always, be based on the advice of our military commanders on the ground, but I can tell the House today that, just as last year we moved from combat to overwatch, we expect a further fundamental change of mission in the first months of 2009, as we make the transition to a long-term bilateral relationship with Iraq, similar to the normal relationships that our military forces have with other important countries in the region. The Defence Secretary and our military commanders will now work with the Iraqi Government to formulate agreement on the details of such a partnership, including its necessary legal basis, and he will report to the House in the autumn.

I believe it is right that having successfully trained and mentored large numbers of the Iraqi forces, and having successfully worked with the Iraqis on a new economic development strategy, we should complete the key tasks that we have agreed with the Iraqi Government: training the 14th division of the Iraqi army in Basra; preparing Basra airport for transfer to Iraqi control; pushing forward economic development; providing the necessary support for provincial elections; honouring our obligations to the Iraqi people; and at the same time—and at all times—ensuring the safety of our armed forces, whose professionalism and dedication have brought us to this stage and whose service to our country I once again commend to the House.

Photo of David Cameron David Cameron Leader of HM Official Opposition, Leader of the Conservative Party

I thank the Prime Minister for his statement.

Is not the absolutely clear message that should go out from across this House that the British armed forces who have served in Iraq and are still serving there are doing, and have done, an incredible job in difficult circumstances? When sitting in the back of one of those transport planes in Basra, you meet people who have been to Iraq three times, four times, five times and sometimes even more. They have given great service and the whole country can be incredibly proud of them. I join the Prime Minister in praising the Iraqi army and Prime Minister Maliki for imposing the rule of law, and for doing the important job of taking on the militias. The Prime Minister was quite right to mention that.

On the question of troop numbers, clearly everyone wants to see our forces withdrawn from Iraq as soon as it is practical to do so, but does the Prime Minister agree that, looking back over the past year, we can see two important lessons to learn? The first is that we should not make premature announcements about troop withdrawals that cannot then be delivered. Instead, we should set the conditions that need to be met to achieve our objectives, and the troop withdrawals can take place when they have been made. The Prime Minister said last October that

"we plan from next spring to reduce force numbers in southern Iraq to a figure of 2,500."—[ Hansard, 8 October 2007; Vol. 464, c. 23.]

Yet currently—for good reason—there are more than 4,000 servicemen and women stationed in Iraq. Can the Prime Minister clarify the figures for Operation Telic as a whole? When servicemen and women serving at sea are included, the figure is more than 6,000. Can the Prime Minister confirm that a combination of written answers and the Ministry of Defence website suggests that the figure has actually increased since October, when the Prime Minister promised that 1,000 troops would come home by Christmas?

Photo of David Cameron David Cameron Leader of HM Official Opposition, Leader of the Conservative Party

He says it is not true; it would help if he gave us simple, consistent, practical figures.

That brings me to the second lesson, which is the need for the Government to be as clear and transparent as possible on troop numbers. Is it not the case that over the past few days we have been in danger of hearing two quite contradictory things? On the one hand, the Prime Minister has said that he is against any artificial timetables for withdrawing the troops; on the other hand, Downing street sources have been reported as saying that he supports a 16-month timetable for withdrawal. Does the Prime Minister agree that we are discussing not abstract numbers and abstract announcements, but people with families and responsibilities who are already coping with the consequence of overstretch and who deserve the very best treatment—not spinning over numbers and announcements?

Can the Prime Minister clear up one wider issue on Iraq? The UN mandate for our presence there expires in December, and the Iraqi Government are not seeking a fresh UN mandate. In his statement, the Prime Minister mentioned seeking a fresh legal basis for our troops. Can he tell us a little more about that? Is it being negotiated in parallel with the United States? When will the negotiations begin? Is he absolutely happy that they will be concluded before the UN mandate runs out, and that there will not be a gap between the two legal bases? It is important to straighten that out.

As for economic development, the Prime Minister spoke of accelerating economic reconstruction. Can he tell us when he expects there to be basic amenities such as reliable electricity and clean running water for the whole of Basra city? While there are clearly improvements in security there, which are very welcome, can he confirm that the provincial reconstruction team is still based with British forces at the air base? Can he also tell us what prospect there is of a move to Basra proper, and in what circumstances it could take place?

The Prime Minister mentioned the hostages in Iraq. The whole House will wish to call for their release, and the Government know that they have our support in doing all that they can to make progress on that vital issue.

On the last occasion when we discussed this, the Prime Minister agreed with our view that there should be an inquiry to enable us to learn the lessons of our involvement in Iraq. Does he agree that the argument for delaying the start of that inquiry is becoming weaker and weaker, and that he really should tell us when he will get on with it?

Let me turn to the influence of Iran on Iraq. Can the Prime Minister give us the current assessment of Iranian involvement, and its impact on security and stability? On the issue of sanctions against Iran, he said in November that Britain would

"lead in seeking tougher sanctions... at the UN... including on oil and gas investment".

Last month he said that action would

"start today for a new phase of sanctions on oil and gas".

Will he confirm that, as we speak, there are still no sanctions on oil and gas? Is he absolutely confident that if there is no positive response to the latest diplomatic offer within two weeks, sanctions will be imposed?

I should be grateful if the Prime Minister addressed one final issue relating to statements such as this. I have asked him this before. It is essential that the British people are kept up to date at regular intervals. Will the Prime Minister consider again our call for, at least, full quarterly reports on progress in Iraq and Afghanistan so that we can be given clear statements, on the record, on troop numbers and progress on the ground? Is that not the only way of ensuring that everyone, especially those serving on our behalf and their families, knows exactly where they stand?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I join the right hon. Gentleman in thanking our armed forces for their professionalism and dedication. I think it true to say that no Ministers have come to the House more frequently to make statements about the developing situation in Iraq than have I, the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary, on occasion. I also believe that we have kept the House fully informed of what is happening, by means of written answers and other statements. I am pleased that the Defence Committee has published a report today, to which I shall return in a minute.

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that we want to press ahead with the economic development of Basra, which includes the provision of electricity and water. As I have said, 800,000 people have electricity and 1 million have water, but more money has been pledged both by us and by the other organisations involved. I also agree with the right hon. Gentleman that we will need a legal basis for continuing our presence in Iraq after December this year, and that is precisely what will be discussed in the negotiations in which the Defence Secretary and our commanders will engage with the Iraqi Government. Of course, as the right hon. Gentleman would expect, when I met Prime Minister Maliki at the weekend I discussed exactly that issue, and how the talks would move forward.

The right hon. Gentleman mentioned the figures relating to troop numbers. We completed the first stage of the reduction in numbers from 5,500 and 4,500, but it was right to pause when the advice on the ground was that Prime Minister Maliki and Operation Charge of the Knights were intent on excluding all the militias from Basra. We wanted to give, as did the American forces, the support that we could to what was a successful operation—and now recognised to be successful—to exclude the militias from the area of Basra. It was right to learn the lessons of Charge of the Knights, which were to take into account the pressing need for further training of the Iraqi army. So nearly 1,000 troops a day are now working with the Iraqi army, embedded with it and doing a great job—I met them at the weekend—advising, mentoring and preparing it for taking over greater responsibilities in the future. We have now agreed a new set of tasks that the British Army will work with the Iraqi army to complete.

We made the right decisions to come down from 5,500 to 4,500. I said at the time—the right hon. Gentleman did not give the full quotation—that we would take the decisions that were necessary

"in the spring of next year—and guided as always by the advice of our military commanders".—[ Hansard, 8 October 2007; Vol. 464, c. 23.]

It was right to pause the reduction in numbers. If any evidence is needed to that effect, let us look at today's all-party Select Committee on Defence report, which says, as a result of those two changes that were made—those on the Opposition Front Bench should recognise that—that

"We were enormously impressed with what we saw in Basra".

The report continues:

"The UK MiTTs"— the military transition teams, which we brought in after Charge of the Knights—

"are doing an excellent job in enhancing the capacity and self-sufficiency of the...Army. Their work is vital to the future of the Iraqi Security Forces and...to stability in southern Iraq. The contrast with what we saw last year is stark and profound, and the MoD must continue to support the MiTTs in what will inevitably be a medium-to long-term project."

The decisions that we made on the advice of the military commanders on the ground were the right decisions. I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman wishes to make political capital out of them, because it was right not only that we reduced the numbers at the time we did but that we paused so that we could support Operation Charge of the Knights. It was right that we changed our tactics so that we were in a position to embed our troops in support of training the Iraqi forces.

It is also right—this relates to the final questions that the right hon. Gentleman asked—that we work to a long-term bilateral relationship with the Iraqi Government. The discussions were about how we can give bilateral support to the Iraqi forces over a period of time. We will complete the work at Basra airport soon, and we hope to hold local government elections in the near future. The economic development plan will be published with the support of the British Government and funds that we are providing, and the work of training the forces will be completed in due course. It is right, therefore, to move to what is a change of mission, and that is a new bilateral relationship with the Iraqi Government, which I hope all parties in the House will support.

Finally, I have already said that this is not the right time for us to consider an inquiry. The troops are there; we have 4,100 troops on the ground. The whole focus of the Ministry of Defence is on completing the work that we have started. That is the right position for the Government to be in.

Photo of Nick Clegg Nick Clegg Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

I would also like to thank the Prime Minister for his statement and to salute the valour, the skill and the perseverance of the troops, and the courage of their families. Let us also not forget the courage of the families of the British hostages who are still held in Iraq.

I welcome, of course, the proposal to bring our troops out of Iraq. Their continued presence there contributes increasingly little to Iraq. Since withdrawing to the Basra air base, we have effectively become impotent, defending ourselves and little else. I am sure that the Prime Minister would agree that the major indirect effect of our deployment is to stretch our overall military capability and so constrain the success of our efforts to bring stability to Afghanistan. I regret that there is still no real clarity in detail on when we will finally leave. That continues the odd nod and wink strategy that has guided our approach to Iraq for some time. Such uncertainty about timing is unfair on our troops, unfair on their families and, of course, unfair on the Iraqis. [ Interruption. ]

Photo of Michael Martin Michael Martin Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Speaker of the House of Commons, Chair, Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Order. The right hon. Gentleman is entitled to be heard, but there is too much in the way of private conversation in the Chamber, which is very unfair.

Photo of Nick Clegg Nick Clegg Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Why should the families of our troops or the troops themselves believe the proposed withdrawal plan, given the confusion that the Prime Minister created—confusion that has not been explained today—when announcing a timetable for withdrawal last October that was never implemented in full? I am told that part of the reason for that is concern about sensitivities in the White House—that the Americans do not want to see us withdraw from Iraq. Does he agree that it is in America's interest to release us from our obligations in Iraq, precisely so that we can do the job that we need to do in Afghanistan?

Can the Prime Minister also provide us with an update on the total costs and projected costs of our commitment in Iraq? At a time of increased economic woes here at home, the cost of our misguided engagement in Iraq is of considerable public interest. As we draw our troops down from Iraq, will the Prime Minister assure the House that we will step up our presence in Afghanistan? When will he start deploying more resources to that vital conflict? When will he start moving the vital equipment needed, such as armoured vehicles, out of Iraq to the front line in Helmand?

Finally, it is impossible to discuss Iraq without mentioning Iran. Our troops' safety in Iraq and Afghanistan is intimately bound up with Iran's influence. The Prime Minister has just come back from Israel, where he rightly condemned Iran's threats to that country. However, will he learn the lesson of our disastrous tacit support for Israel's incursion into Lebanon two years ago and make it clear to the House today, and to Israel and the country at large, that he will not support, even tacitly, any unilateral Israeli military strike in Iran? Two years ago, the then Foreign Secretary, Mr. Straw, said that an attack on Iran would be "completely nuts". Does the Prime Minister agree?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

Let me correct the right hon. Gentleman on a number of important facts. First, we have announced new numbers and extra support for Afghanistan. Secondly, the figures for the cost of our involvement in Iraq are published regularly. As I understand it, £3.6 billion in urgent operational requirements has been allocated over these last few years.

Thirdly, the right hon. Gentleman comments on the work that the forces in Iraq are doing, but let me repeat what the Defence Committee said this morning:

"The larger the military training commitment we can maintain, the greater will be UK influence in Iraq, and in the region as a whole, as Iraq recovers its position as a wealthy and powerful Middle East nation."

The importance of our training effort is not simply that Iraqi troops are better able to deal with their own security, which I hope he would support, and to take responsibility themselves, but that people can see that this is long-term influence in Iraq, which is to the benefit not just of Iraq and the region but of our relationship with Iraq for the future. I hope that he will reconsider his view on this matter. The training function that is being carried out by our forces in Iraq is welcomed by the Iraqi forces and is vital in making them able to conduct their own operations and, therefore, enabling us to release the things that we are doing, allowing them to get on with their work.

As for Iran, let me make it absolutely clear—I will answer in more detail on Iran—that we have supported three United Nations resolutions on sanctions, and we have also taken action in the European Union. We will not hesitate to take further action on sanctions, including on oil and gas. We took action in the past few weeks on Bank Melli, and we are determined to show the Iranians that they have a choice. Their choice is that they can work with us, gain access to civil nuclear power and play their part as a responsible member of the international community or they can face isolation from the whole of the international community, as a result of their failure to honour what they promised to do under the non-proliferation treaty and withdraw from their programme on nuclear weapons.

That is a clear choice, and that is what the discussions of the E3 plus 3 group are all about. That is what was being discussed at the weekend. We await an answer from Iran. The important fact is that Iran faces that choice. I do not rule out any options in relation to Iran, but the path ahead, which I support, is one of negotiations backed up by sanctions. The more sanctions that we have to impose in response to Iran's attitude, the more we will have to do, and I believe that we will have the whole of the international community behind us.

Photo of Tony Lloyd Tony Lloyd Chair, Parliamentary Labour Party

Does my right hon. Friend agree that in the end the most sensible way of combating the malign influence of Iran is by ensuring that the Iraqi people, particularly in the south, have confidence in the future, which means continuing the efforts to invest in public services and the economy? He has already told the House what the British Government are doing in that context, but will he outline what steps are being taken by our European partners to ensure that economic burden sharing takes place?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

The important point to recognise is that Iraq is a potentially wealthy country. It has produced more oil in recent months, having reopened oil production that was closed after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and it is in a position to develop its oil reserves even more. Part of our Basra development strategy is to ensure that Iraq's oil resources are developed to the full, and we want other countries to be involved in the process.

My hon. Friend asks about the European Union. We have called a Basra investment conference and we have worked with people from all EU countries to make that happen. We are behind the Basra development commission, which is trying to get new investors into Iraq. I am sure that the combined work of the World Bank and the UN to provide help for hospitals, schools and infrastructure such as water and electricity, together with our push to get new investment into Iraq, will be crucial for the future. We are prepared to continue working with the EU on all those matters.

Photo of James Arbuthnot James Arbuthnot Chair, Defence Committee, Chair, Defence Committee

I welcome the statement with no reservation whatever. Does the Prime Minister agree that the transformation that the Defence Committee saw when we visited Basra this month provides some reassurance to our armed forces that the great sacrifices they make on our behalf are not made in vain and lead eventually to some improvement in the world?

As for the figures that the Prime Minister was kind enough to mention in relation to the Defence Committee report, I agree that it was right to maintain the numbers of our armed forces in Iraq at about 4,500 during the spring. What was wrong, if I may put it gently to him, was announcing, in response to the Leader of the Opposition, the figure of 2,500 in the autumn. Let us put that behind us, however, and say that the most important thing now is to continue to build and train the Iraqi forces in precisely the long-term relationship that the Prime Minister described in his statement.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. I know that he has visited Iraq in the past few weeks and was able to walk on the streets of Basra and see for himself the change in security in the town itself, as well as in the region more widely. I believe that the Defence Committee report will be regarded as an extremely important document. It shows that the training function agreed with the Iraqi authorities is working, and it shows the value of continuing that training function so that we can properly complete the task.

I can tell the right hon. Gentleman that all the figures announced to the House were based on the best advice of our military commanders at the time. It is true to say that we could have reduced our troops further had it not been for the operation carried out by Prime Minister Maliki—which turned out to be the right way of getting the militias out of Basra—while at the same time, by embedding our forces with the Iraqi forces, completing the training processes in a better, more efficient and more expeditious way than before. As the Defence Committee's report shows, embedding our training groups in the Iraqi forces has been the right thing to do and has been very successful. We look forward to the day when, as a result of all the advice and mentoring that we have been able to give them, the Iraqis can take over full responsibility for the security of all areas of Iraq.

The negotiations on the long-term bilateral relationship between Iraq and the United Kingdom, which the right hon. Gentleman also asked about, will continue over the summer and autumn months. I hope that when the House returns we will be able to report on their success. It is important to understand that the Iraqis want to receive support in a number of areas where we are giving specialist advice. The relationship will not be too dissimilar to one we have with other countries in the region, and it will be to the benefit of the UK, representing, as I have said, a further fundamental change of mission. I think that it is right for the Iraqis to have control over their own country's security, and it is also an acknowledgement, as the right hon. Gentleman said at the outset, of the great sacrifice made by British troops and of their professionalism and dedication. That is what has brought us to the point where we have been able to report progress today.

Photo of Dai Havard Dai Havard Labour, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

The Prime Minister will know that I have visited Iraq three times in the past 12 months, most recently with the Select Committee only a few weeks ago, so I can attest to the changes taking place there. In consolidating those changes, my right hon. Friend refers to the bilateral arrangements to be struck with the Iraqis in parallel with those of the United States. We currently operate a detention and internment facility, whose legality is bound up with a UN resolution. The ending of that resolution is clearly important for the continuation of the facility and the protection of our forces who operate it. I have visited it on several occasions over the past few years, so I can say that it is a very well run facility, validated by the Red Cross. However, it is also important as we continue to help the Iraqis with their reconciliation—

Photo of Michael Lord Michael Lord Deputy Speaker (Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means)

Order. May I say to the hon. Gentleman, and to the House more generally, that he is yet to put a question? Time is limited and there is a lot of business to get through today. I am sure that the Prime Minister wants to respond to as many questions as possible, so it helps if they can be brief and to the point. That will enable many more Members to be satisfied; otherwise, I am afraid that many Members will be unhappy.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I thank my hon. Friend for visiting Iraq, for informing me of what he saw while he was there, and for his advice. He is absolutely right that the International Committee of the Red Cross has inspected the detention facilities and found them to be very good. He is also right that part of a UN resolution covers our presence in Iraq. That will be one of the issues to be discussed during negotiation on the bilateral relationship that we will have with Iraq in the future.

Photo of Iain Duncan Smith Iain Duncan Smith Conservative, Chingford and Woodford Green

As one who has supported our Iraq operations from the beginning, I am enormously pleased that the Prime Minister has been able to make this statement today. I believe that our troops should remain there until they are no longer required; there should be no artificial timetables.

We all know that the real pressure on our troop numbers comes from the pressure to deploy into Afghanistan. Is not the reality that that pressure draws more on us because our allies in Europe, such as the French and the Germans, still refuse point blank to do what they voted for, which is to get into places like Helmand and provide some proper support for the Afghan Government? Is the Prime Minister minded to urge President Sarkozy to stop travelling around Europe telling everyone to raise a defunct treaty, and instead attempt to bully them into putting some troops on the ground to support us?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

A few months ago, the French announced that they would put an extra 800 troops into Afghanistan. They will put them in eastern Afghanistan, which is a dangerous region, as well as the region where we are working, Helmand. That will enable American marines to come down into Helmand, so the reconfiguration that follows will be to the benefit of British troops. We have increased the number of troops available in Afghanistan and we are meeting our responsibilities in respect of equipment and staffing. We will continue to do what is right in both Iraq and Afghanistan to make sure that there is proper protection for British forces, who are doing a sterling job in both countries.

Photo of Kevan Jones Kevan Jones Labour, North Durham

Three weeks ago, I visited Basra and Iraq for the sixth time with the Select Committee, and I can confirm that the security situation has been transformed. We met the training teams with the 14th division of the Iraqi army in Basra and the navy training teams down at Umm Qasr, and I have to say that they are doing a fantastic, first-rate job. I urge my right hon. Friend to resist those asking to have those troops withdrawn prematurely merely for the sake of the numbers, as that would be a great mistake not just for the troops, but for the future of Iraq.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

That is exactly what I am saying. The training function that we have agreed to carry out will be completed. Simultaneously, we are working on the economic development front in Iraq and a plan will be published in the next few months. We are working to transfer control of the airport to civilian use, which should happen by the end of the year. We hope—there is a vote in the Iraqi Parliament today—that provincial local elections will be announced later in the year. We are intent on completing the job that we started. The job that we have been doing over the past year, intensified in recent months, has involved embedding our troops with the Iraqi forces, and we believe that we will complete that job to our satisfaction and theirs.

Photo of Ian Taylor Ian Taylor Conservative, Esher and Walton

As one of those who did not approve of our invasion of Iraq, I nevertheless welcome the Prime Minister's statement today and the progress that is at last being made there. However, will he comment specifically on the stories that al-Qaeda members who are currently in Iraq are moving back to the Pakistan border with Afghanistan? That will create serious problems unless the Government of Pakistan genuinely try to crack down on them. If they do not, those terrorists will increasingly cause problems for our troops in Helmand province.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

The hon. Gentleman refers to the comments that General Petraeus made. There has been a great deal of success in some of the provinces in Iraq in forcing out those people who were associated with al-Qaeda. It is also true that there is a new worry about the Pakistan border and the infiltration of al-Qaeda into Afghanistan. We take that threat very seriously indeed, and it has led us to have conversations with the Pakistani Government about what they are doing to ensure law and order in the regions. I accept that, as al-Qaeda is forced out of Iraq, other problems will arise, but I hope that the hon. Gentleman acknowledges that we are making changes in Afghanistan to deal with a new function of the militias that are fighting us: instead of direct combat, they are fighting in a guerrilla form, which results in casualties. We must change our tactics so that we are properly prepared to tackle them.

Photo of Andrew Miller Andrew Miller Chair, Regulatory Reform Committee, Chair, Regulatory Reform Committee

Capacity building in the Iraqi navy is critical, but is any work going on in the investment conference to tackle the design and layout of the oil platforms? They are a little antiquated, to say the least, and their design makes them vulnerable.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I pay tribute to all the armed forces training teams, who do not simply train the Iraqi army but undertake important work in naval exercises and in protecting the safety and security of the oil platforms. We are working with the Iraqis to help them to develop an oil industry, which should be one of the most successful in the world. Iraq has major oil reserves and it needs support for their development. The Basra development commission is intent on helping to develop not only the oil industry, but related industries around the port. I believe that British businesses, too, will see an opportunity to work with the commission on that.

Photo of Douglas Hogg Douglas Hogg Conservative, Sleaford and North Hykeham

Did the right hon. Gentleman, when speaking to British servicemen, remind them that much of the fighting that has taken place was due to the Government's disastrous decision to disestablish the Iraqi army and police service? Did he remind them that, when they go to Afghanistan, they will be in much greater danger because of the Government's failure to give them proper equipment, and the Government's decision to deploy into Helmand province without getting proper assurances from other NATO allies about reinforcements?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

First, let me tell the right hon. and learned Gentleman that we are training the Iraqi army and working with it so that it can build up its strength. We have already trained 20,000 members of the Iraqi armed forces, and the work in hand for the next few months is to train several thousand more. That is an important way to show that the Iraqi army will be suitable, able and equipped to carry out its tasks.

As for Afghanistan, the right hon. and learned Gentleman, like me, recognises the difficulties that all countries face there. We are dealing with an insurgency and problems that have arisen from a change of tactic by the Taliban, but I believe that our armed forces are tackling that with great effectiveness and success. As for equipment, we have been able to meet the urgent operational requirements of the Army and the other forces. We have put aside, as a matter of policy, money to meet all the urgent operational requirements, which have run into substantial figures in the past few years. When the Army, the Navy or the Air Force make requests for us to meet those urgent operational requirements, we do our best to fulfil them.

Photo of David Crausby David Crausby Labour, Bolton North East

Last year, the Prime Minister told the House that we planned to move to the second stage of overwatch, which would focus on training and mentoring. That plan appears to be in place. May I therefore urge him to take no notice of those who would have us lose our nerve now? Will he ensure that any second stage of overwatch is properly resourced, so that Britain continues to have a substantial influence for good in the region in the late stages of the campaign?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is also a member of the Select Committee. Again, I pay tribute to members of the Committee for their non-partisan work in going to Iraq, examining the facts, reporting on them and, I believe, giving a full and fair account of how the training function that we agreed several months ago works to the benefit of the Iraqi army in the short term, and makes for greater and better relationships between us and the Iraqi people for many years ahead. The Select Committee is right to say that we should work to finish the job of training. That is exactly what we intend to do: to finish the task that we started.

Photo of Bernard Jenkin Bernard Jenkin Conservative, North Essex

I thank the Prime Minister for quoting extensively from our Select Committee report and commend him for demonstrating the political will to see the operation in Iraq through, despite his understandable desire to draw down troops earlier than proved to be possible. However, the problem of overstretch does not go away, as the leader of the Liberal Democrats pointed out, and there is a question about whether either the commitments or the defence planning assumptions are wrong. Given that the defence planning assumptions have been exceeded in more years than they have not since they were drawn up in 1998, is not it time to revisit them? I doubt that Iraq will be the last place in which we are required to intervene, even if operations in Afghanistan continue.

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I appreciate everything in the first part of the hon. Gentleman's remarks. We were right to make the decisions that we have made. As his report shows, the training that the Ministry of Defence is undertaking of the Iraqi forces is yielding results—we can see the improvement every week in the Basra area. The improvement is also due to the change of tactics in the west of Iraq.

Of course, at all times we would like to do more with the defence budget, but it will be some 11 per cent. higher in real terms than it was in 1997. We have made major commitments of resources and capital in recent years and the defence budget rises every year. To be absolutely accurate, and to correct something that I said at Prime Minister's Question Time, the UK is the second highest spending nation on defence, behind only the United States of America. That shows that we have continued to make commitments on defence, and we will continue to do that in future. We will of course continue to examine the capital budget and the planning assumptions, but the hon. Gentleman cannot take away from us the fact that the defence budget has continued to rise, or the fact that we have fulfilled the urgent operational requirements of the ventures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Photo of Gordon Prentice Gordon Prentice Labour, Pendle

How difficult is it for the Iraqi Government to recruit police officers, given that they are regularly targeted, and is corruption, which was endemic, still a problem in the police force? How many people are training police officers in Iraq?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that it is important both to have an open and transparent policing operation in Iraq and that there is no corruption. Anything that leads to corruption is detrimental to the future of Iraq. However, he is wrong about applications to join the police force in Iraq: I am told that there is a waiting list to join. With others, we have trained 20,000 policemen and women, and we will continue to perform that vital training function. Just as we want a properly trained army, we want a properly trained police force that can conduct its duties.

Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Spokesperson (Communities and Local Government; Culture, Media and Sport; Defence; Transport; Ministry of Justice)

Barack Obama has said that he will bring the last American soldier home by 16 months after he takes office. If the Prime Minister had made such a commitment, British soldiers would be coming home this summer, not in the spring of 2009 and 2010. In the light of his refusal to hold a proper inquiry into the Government's Iraq policy, will he explain here and now why, in contrast to the young Senator Obama, he got it so badly wrong about the necessity of the war in the first place, the difficulties of the occupation and, most important, the huge human cost in service and civilian casualties of the worst foreign policy error of any Government in more than 50 years?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

Yes, I do acknowledge the sacrifice of the British men and women serving in Iraq, and the determination, resolution and commitment they have shown, but the important achievement from that is that Iraq is now a democracy. People voted for an elected Government, children are at school, people are enjoying health care and businesses are starting. That is an achievement. The hon. Gentleman asked about our proposals for the longer term: we want a bilateral defence relationship with Iraq through which we can support that country in the future, and that is exactly what we will be negotiating over the next few months.

Photo of Dari Taylor Dari Taylor Labour, Stockton South

I ask my right hon. Friend to compliment the contribution of the Territorial Army and reservists in Iraq, especially the personnel of the Medical Corps. Will he outline how we would have managed without their deployment in Iraq, and does he not agree that they have been a tremendous force for good?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I know that my hon. Friend takes a great interest in the TA and works very effectively at the local level to support the TA and the cadets who are trained in her area. Many of the 100,000 men and women who have served in Iraq have been TA members. When I have been in Iraq and when I met TA members at a reception for the 100th anniversary of the TA that we held last week, I have been able to thank them for their service—for giving up their ordinary jobs, and for giving their time and expertise to the work of the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. I thank them for what they have done. On the 100th anniversary of the TA, which started in the first world war, it is important to acknowledge the contribution of its members, which has continued throughout that century and is no less great now in the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Photo of Andrew Robathan Andrew Robathan Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Commons)

Like the Chairman of the Defence Committee, I think it right to maintain our current high levels of troop deployment in Iraq, but it was absolutely wrong of the Prime Minister 10 months ago, when he was contemplating calling a general election and the Conservative party was holding its conference, to make the premature announcement that the troop number would be reduced to 2,500 by this spring. That was done for reasons of naked electoral and political advantage. Will the Prime Minister now apologise both to the armed forces and their families for misleading them—I understand that I am allowed to say that—and to the British people?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

No. It was right to reduce our armed forces numbers as we changed the task that they performed from combat to overwatch. We reduced the numbers by 1,000 at the time, from 5,500 to 4,500. It was also right to change our tactics, as military commanders advised us about what was happening on the ground in Basra. I have always said, and I repeat again today, that the decisions we make will be made on the advice of military commanders on the ground and by reviewing the situation on the ground. It is right, too, that we continue to embed our troops with the Iraqi forces in order to complete the training function. Notwithstanding what the hon. Gentleman has suggested, I hope that he supports the action we are now taking.

Photo of Nick Palmer Nick Palmer PPS (Malcolm Wicks, Minister of State), Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform

I endorse the comments of my hon. Friend Ms Taylor on the role of the TA. The national mobilisation base in my constituency has worked hard to support that role, and we are very grateful for its efforts. With Iran's current position up for review, does the Prime Minister agree that as well as talking about the sanctions we will impose if it takes the wrong direction, it should be made clear that if Iran is willing to support the Shi'a-led Iraqi Government's efforts to achieve peace, that will be an important step towards normalising its relationship with the rest of the world?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I hope that Iran will be able to show that it does have a continuing and settled interest in a stable Iraq. I also hope that any attempt to support militias coming across the border to cause damage in Basra or elsewhere will be seen by the international community and by the Iranian Government as totally unacceptable. We continue to try to negotiate with Iran a successful way through the problem that has been created by Iran's breach of the non-proliferation treaty and defiance of the international community by attempting to gain nuclear weapons. I repeat that Iran has a choice: it can co-operate and gain access to civil nuclear power, or it can face isolation outside the international community.

Photo of Crispin Blunt Crispin Blunt Opposition Whip (Commons)

I do not think we can escape the fact that our involvement in Iraq over the past five years has come at an appalling political, economic and military cost to the United Kingdom. As the need for Operation Charge of the Knights made clear, there are still many lessons to be learned. When the Prime Minister went to Iraq in October, he did not predict that the Iraqis would have to go in and retake the streets from the militias after we had abandoned them. Will the Prime Minister commission an inquiry to be held at a time when he can be confident of still being Prime Minister?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

The purpose of Operation Charge of the Knights was to get the militias out of Basra and the surrounding area. The operation was, of course, led by Prime Minister Maliki, but supported by UK and US forces. As a result of it, militias have been cleaned out of the area, but we must remain vigilant about the potential for militias either to come into Iraq from other countries, or to be involved in Basra itself. That is why we must strengthen the Iraqi forces. [Interruption.] I have already answered the inquiry question. As the Ministry of Defence and our armed forces are in Iraq at present, and as they are doing vital jobs on behalf of our national security, I believe that now is not the right time to have an inquiry. Let us also remember that four Committees of this House or separate investigations have looked at Iraq over the past few years, and this morning we had new evidence on Iraq from the Defence Committee.

Photo of Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn Labour, Islington North

Will the Prime Minister tell us what discussions he had while visiting Iraq about the probability of permanent British or American bases being established in Iraq and of there being a permanent military presence there?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

We have no plans for that. What we want is a bilateral relationship with Iraq, whereby we can serve the needs of the country as the Iraqi Government see them, by agreement with the Iraqi Government. As my hon. Friend can clearly see, we are carrying out and discharging responsibilities that are of great benefit to the Iraqi nation. The training of Iraqi forces, support for the navy, and support in other areas that are important for the development of the Iraqi economy are carried out by our armed forces. We will continue to work with Iraq to help to build democracy, ensure security and ensure that Iraqis have a stake in their economic future.

Photo of John Stanley John Stanley Conservative, Tonbridge and Malling

Is it not the case that one of the most disturbing human rights trends in Iraq has been the extent to which the rights of women have deteriorated in parts of the country? The Prime Minister said in his statement that we must honour our obligations to the people of Iraq. What steps will the British Government take to ensure that we honour our obligations to the women of Iraq, given the deterioration in their rights since our invasion?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

The accounts I have from Iraq, whether from Basra or from Baghdad, are that women are enjoying their freedom in Iraq. That is part of the Iraqi constitution. I will, of course, look into everything the right hon. Gentleman says and get back to him on the issue, but support for the rights of women is, of course, at the centre of the Iraqi constitution.

Photo of Laura Moffatt Laura Moffatt PPS (Rt Hon Alan Johnson, Secretary of State), Department of Health

Did my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister have an opportunity to speak to forces members about using the resources that are available in Iraq, including those of our Territorial Army people, so that we bring in not only the professionalism of the British Army, but the skills from people's civilian jobs, to make sure that they are recycling and using and reusing every bit of the resources that they so desperately need in Iraq?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I know that people from her area are supporting the effort in Iraq. The work that has been done by our provincial reconstruction team and the Army in support of health, education and economic projects and getting the port in Iraq working shows the blend of skills that the TA and others in the Army have to offer the people of Iraq. I think it is true to say that the Army has played a very important role not only in the training of the Iraqi forces and in combat, but in the economic and social reconstruction of the country.

Photo of John Redwood John Redwood Conservative, Wokingham

What action is the Prime Minister taking to persuade Senator Obama that he is wrong to want an early withdrawal from Iraq and to want a substantial strengthening of the position in Afghanistan—which is the opposite of the Prime Minister's policy—given that the Senator might be President before the end of the year?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I had the chance to talk to Senator Obama about these issues when I met him in America, and I agree with him about Afghanistan: we must do more there, which is why we increased our numbers in that country to help the coalition effort. That is also why I have said all along that there should be proper burden sharing in the coalition, so that other countries are in a position to contribute to the effort in Afghanistan as well.

I accept that Afghanistan requires long-term action, not only at military level, but in training the police, in making sure that there is economic reconstruction and in giving people in Afghanistan a stake in the future. All of that is part of the strategy being pursued by America and it is what Senator Obama has said we need to do. We need to concentrate on how we can make sure that the future of Afghanistan is one where there is more peace, where we have dealt with the Taliban and al-Qaeda and where there is economic and social reconstruction of the country.

D

The question, but not the answer, referred to Iraq and Obama's expressed wish for a speedy and defined withdrawal from there.
Depending on the direction in which the wind was blowing, that may not, of course, have been the Senator's view when he spoke with the Prime Minister.

Submitted by David Wright

Photo of Neil Gerrard Neil Gerrard Labour, Walthamstow

The Prime Minister referred to the millions of Iraqis who remain refugees. Did he have any discussions on the question of returning asylum seekers to Iraq? Does he accept that many of those who fled Iraq fear that it would still not be possible to guarantee their safety in many areas of Iraq if they were to be returned now?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I think it is true to say that many of the refugees who left Iraq are now returning; the Defence Secretary has told me that 600 doctors recently returned to Iraq. There are an estimated 2 million refugees, many of whom are in Jordan and surrounding areas, and, of course, it is important for the future of Iraq that those people who have skills to offer to build its economy and society can return as soon as possible.

Photo of Mark Lancaster Mark Lancaster Shadow Minister (International Development)

I am a member of the Territorial Army that the Prime Minister is so keen to praise and someone who is proud to have been on operational service three times in the past eight years of this Government, and, as such, he has made my blood boil today. Everybody knows that last October's announcement of troop withdrawal numbers was a cynical, political manipulation. Will he show just an ounce of the courage being shown by our brave servicemen and women and apologise to the House today?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

Every decision that we have announced has been based on the best military advice that we can have. It was right to reduce the numbers from 5,500 to 4,500. The reason why we did that was because we were moving—I suspect that the hon. Gentleman agreed with this policy—from direct combat to overwatch. It was also right to listen to the advice of military commanders when the situation changed on the ground in Basra—I have always said that—and to take the right decision, which was to support the training of Iraqi forces after the operation. I think that he actually supports the decisions that we made.

Photo of Greg Hands Greg Hands Conservative, Hammersmith and Fulham

The Prime Minister quoted at length the report from the Defence Committee, but could he also take a look at another recent publication—the annual report and accounts of the Ministry of Defence? They show the worrying condition of our armed forces; fewer than half of our military units are able to deploy in an emergency, and that is the lowest proportion ever recorded by the MOD. When will the Prime Minister examine overstretch in our armed forces and do something about it?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

What the hon. Gentleman is saying reflects the fact that large numbers of our troops are on operations, in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other parts; they have been in parts of Europe, as well as in the Falkland Islands and in Ireland. He might also acknowledge, as the White Paper acknowledged last Thursday, when we showed what we can do to help our armed forces and acknowledge the service that they give, that we have increased their pay; that there are more resources for our military personnel; that we have increased the hospital and health provision that is available; and that we have made sure that accommodation is properly invested in for the first time. All those things are happening because we recognise the contribution that our armed forces make and we are trying to do our best by them.

Photo of Peter Bone Peter Bone Conservative, Wellingborough

I congratulate the Prime Minister on the positive statement that he has been able to make and on the work that the Defence Secretary has done in this area. May I ask the Prime Minister specifically about one of the key tasks to which he referred? Why has there been a delay in providing for local elections, and could he update the House on what is going to happen?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that. I hope that the whole House will want to acknowledge the work that the Defence Secretary has done, both in visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, and in supporting our troops. The provincial elections require a law to be passed by Iraqi Members of Parliament. I understand that that is probably being discussed today, as we are discussing Iraq in this House, by Members of the Iraqi Assembly. They have to make the decision to pass the law—as they must make the decision on the hydrocarbons law. I hope that they will do that, and that will lead to the provincial elections taking place.

Photo of Graham Stuart Graham Stuart Conservative, Beverley and Holderness

What measures have been taken to improve the security around the foreign visits of the Prime Minister's team, given the loss by one of the team of a BlackBerry in Shanghai earlier this year?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I want to acknowledge the great work that the security forces do in protecting all those who visit Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas. I think that the whole House will want to acknowledge the work of our security services.

Photo of John Baron John Baron Opposition Whip (Commons)

Any escalation in the tension between Iran and Israel will have implications for our troops in Iraq. Given the recent indications that the Israelis are considering a unilateral military strike, can the Prime Minister confirm, once and for all, what the British Government's position would be if such a strike were to occur?

Photo of Gordon Brown Gordon Brown The Prime Minister, Leader of the Labour Party

I have already outlined the priority that we attach to the negotiations that are taking place between the E3 plus 3 group and Iran. It is important to recognise that the diplomatic effort that is being made is to get Iran to the table to discuss the proposals that we have made. We are prepared to increase the sanctions that we place on Iran if it is not able to reach an agreement with us. That is the chosen method of the whole international community, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will acknowledge that the international coalition that includes China and Russia, as well as the European Union and America, is one that has held together through three resolutions. I believe that if Iran gives a negative answer to the proposals that have been made, we will impose further sanctions on Iran, and I hope that the whole House would support that.