§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they considered conducting a review of the use of anti-personnel land mines before making a statement in May.
§ Lord GilbertThe use of anti-personnel landmines was carefully considered by the Government's military advisors prior to the policy statement of 21 May 1997.
§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether authorisation for the use of anti-personnel landmines would be given to individual commanders on the ground or as a general authorisation; and
Under what circumstances of threat to British forces they would authorise the use of anti-personnel mines.
§ Lord GilbertAuthorisation for the use of anti-personnel landmines would be promulgated through the rules of engagement for a specific operation. The nature of the authorisation would depend on the operational circumstances existing at the time.
Such authorisation would be given only where we were satisfied that, for a specific operation, the security of our Armed Forces would be jeopardised without them. It is impossible to predict what such exceptional circumstances might be, but Ministers would wish to be satisfied that it was not feasible to provide adequate protection for our Armed Forces using other means. As we have made clear, in such exceptional cases, Parliament would be informed of the decision and the reasons behind it.
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§ Lord Redesdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British mines are still on the Falkland Islands.
§ Lord GilbertAs my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence said in answer to an oral Question in another place on 14 July 1997(Official Report, cols. 14–15), one anti-personnel mine laid by UK military personnel on the Falkland Islands remains unaccounted for.