Press release
21-07-04
Barrett part of new inquiry into Iraq
John
Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, will be
part of a major new parliamentary inquiry into Iraq.
The House
of Commons International Development Committee, of which
John Barrett is a member, has announced a new inquiry
into "Development Assistant to Iraq". The
inquiry is expected to start in November.
The inquiry will
address key areas such as the role the UK Government has
taken in delivering humanitarian assistance
and development aid in Iraq since the end of the war. The
Committee will look at how effectively aid money has been
spent as well as how successful the British military has
been in helping to deliver aid relief on the ground.
As part
of the inquiry, it is likely that Mr Barrett and the Committee
will take evidence from a variety of organisations,
including those working to deliver aid in Iraq. Government
Ministers, including the International Development Secretary
are also likely to be called to give evidence.
In a statement,
Mr Barrett, said:
"Before the war started, the Prime Minister promised that
a humanitarian plan for Iraq would be as well thought out
as the military plan. However, it was clear, especially
in the early stages after the war that help was simply not
getting to the millions of Iraqi people who needed it.
"The inquiry which I will be part
of will provide an excellent opportunity to hold the Government
to account on these important
issues. We have already had a number of inquiries into
the war itself but this will be the first that will look
at the aftermath of the war and how effectively the UK dealt
with that aftermath.
ENDS |
