The Report of the Iraq Inquiry

783. Sir Suma added that, as the UK Strategy did not satisfy DFID’s need for

operational detail, DFID produced its own strategy (the Interim Country Assistance Plan)

at the beginning of 2004.

784. The UK Government continued to lobby the US and the CPA for a level playing

field for UK companies bidding for CPA contracts in Iraq (see Section 10.3).

785. Trade Partners UK (TPUK), the division of British Trade International (BTI)

responsible for promoting UK exports, produced an update on commercial issues on

Iraq for Mr Blair on 10 October.433

786. TPUK advised that their strategy was:

“… to position UK firms as best we can through the provision of information about

contacts, procurements issues, etc, and to press the US authorities (and the CPA)

to ensure a level playing field on which UK companies can compete.”

787. In response, the US had made it clear that, while it welcomed the participation of

UK companies, there was “no ‘special deal’”.

788. The update concluded that UK firms were doing “quite well” given that most of the

work so far had been US-funded.

789. UK Government lobbying on behalf of UK business intensified in early 2004, in

anticipation of the contracts that would flow from the additional funding for reconstruction

requested by the CPA and against a background of growing press and Parliamentary

criticism that UK companies were at a disadvantage in bidding for US-funded contracts.

790. The Annotated Agenda for the 2 October meeting of the AHMGIR stated that the

UK’s primary objective for the Madrid Donors Conference, which would be held on

23 and 24 October, was to broaden international support for reconstruction in Iraq and

secure the necessary funding for it.434 The Conference should also:

• demonstrate international support for Iraqi proposals for political and economic

progress;

• recognise the Governing Council and Ministers as the principal interlocutors for

donors;

• endorse the Iraqi budget for 2004 and the priorities identified by the IFI/UN

needs assessments;

433 Letter Zimmer to Rycroft, 10 October 2003, ‘Iraq: Update on Commercial Issues’ attaching Paper

TPUK, 10 October 2003, ‘Iraq: Update on Commercial Issues’.

434 Annotated Agenda, 2 October 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation meeting.

136