Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Historical Inequalities Report - Statement

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:14 pm on 26 April 2021.

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Photo of Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne Conservative 2:14, 26 April 2021

As honorary war graves commissioner for Iraq, I welcome the report, which has shone a spotlight on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s wonderful work. I am naturally particularly concerned that, despite the difficulties of working even in today’s Iraq, the war graves commission should be tasked and supported in its efforts to ensure that all the war graves in Iraq are properly recognised. I had the honour of visiting a number of these war graves, particularly the enormous ones in al-Amarah and Basra, which arrived because of the battles of Ctesiphon and Kut and the defence of Shatt al-Arab, and there is no doubt that those graves need further attention. Could the war graves commission be encouraged to do more in Iraq, with all the wonderful work that it has already done?