asked Her Majesty's Government:

How the Provincial Reconstruction Team's baseline assessment of Basra was produced; and what criteria it uses to monitor progress in Basra.

The baseline assessment was produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in consultation with our embassy office in Basra and the Multi-National Division (South East). The assessment is based on a standard format developed by the US-led PRT national co-ordination team in Baghdad.

The Basra PRT uses a range of criteria to measure progress in various sectors, including: the effectiveness of the Iraqi security sector (including the police, army and prison service); employment levels; agricultural production; the effectiveness of the provincial council in awarding and managing reconstruction contracts; public access to the judicial process; the transparency of the justice sector and the availability of basic services such as water, electricity, healthcare, sanitation, housing and education.