To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2007, Official Report, column 1285W, on Iraq: peace keeping operations, what assessment he made of advice provided by the former Attorney General on the interpretation of the definitions referred to in the answer in the context of the activities of UK armed forces in Iraq. (154079)

Legal advice given to Government (whether by the Law Officers or any other lawyer) is confidential and covered by legal professional privilege. In accordance with the long-standing convention, set out in the Ministerial Code and adhered to by successive governments, neither the fact that the Law Officers have (or have not) advised, nor the content of any advice given, is disclosed outside Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the number of UK troops based in Iraq fell below 44,000. (154645)

The number of UK military personnel in the Operation Telic area of operations fell below 44,000 in April 2003.