HC Deb 22 June 1998 vol 314 cc684-6
4. Mr. Bob Russell (Colchester)

What representations he has received on progress in the destruction of United Kingdom land mine stocks; and if he will make a statement. [45221]

The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. George Robertson)

My Department has received a number of representations about the destruction of UK anti-personnel land mine stocks. We are committed to ratifying the Ottawa convention. In the past year alone, we have destroyed some 450,000 anti-personnel land mines—some 50 per cent. of the total.

Mr. Russell

I certainly welcome the final part of the Secretary of State's answer. However, there is great unhappiness about the fact that Britain has not ratified the treaty, as promised. Britain wishes to have a world role in defence matters. Until we ratify the treaty, many other countries will not do so either. Will the Secretary of State give an assurance that he will bring pressure to bear elsewhere within the Government to get the treaty signed?

Mr. Robertson

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we desire to ratify the Ottawa treaty as quickly as we can and to make sure that we are among the number of countries required to ratify it before it can come into force. There is a very congested legislative programme because this is the first Session of the new Parliament, but, as and when the time is available, the measure will receive considerable priority.

The fact that we have not yet found the time in our busy schedule to ratify the treaty does not mean that we have not started to fulfil the obligations that we took on when we signed it. To date, we have destroyed almost 50 per cent. of Britain's stocks of anti-personnel land mines. I am way ahead of the target that I set myself for destroying all our stocks by 2000, which would have been some five to six years ahead of the target that we set in Ottawa. Combined with all the other initiatives in which we are involved, our commitment to the cause of ridding the world of anti-personnel land mines is a record of which I am extremely proud.

Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)

We hear what the Secretary of State says, but what sort of figure does our country cut in the outside world when we wring our hands and say that we cannot ratify because of a shortage of parliamentary time? How much parliamentary time is needed for what we understand is an agreed measure?

Mr. Robertson

It is certainly an agreed measure in principle, but there are a number of potentially contentious details which may require deliberation. We shall move ahead as quickly as we can. Since October last year, when the treaty was signed in Ottawa, only 19 countries have been able to complete their ratification procedures. Not all of them have moved with the speed and effectiveness that we have shown in meeting the obligations placed on us. My Department has taken significant initiatives on humanitarian de-mining, which have been loudly praised by other countries that are equally involved.

Mr. Gerald Howarth (Aldershot)

Given the Government's much-vaunted ethical foreign policy, is the Secretary of State not embarrassed by the fact that the Government have not yet ratified the agreement? Does he expect to be able to ratify it by the first anniversary of the death of the Princess of Wales? If the Government cannot do so, their resolve in such matters will be shown to be not as strong as they pretend.

Mr. Robertson

I do not want to strike an acrimonious note on a subject with which we usually deal cordially and on which there is consensus, but the hon. Gentleman has a brass neck to say that. When the Conservatives were in government last year, they were not in favour of signing the Ottawa treaty or doing away with anti-personnel land mines. At the earliest opportunity, we banned the export, manufacture, import and transfer of anti-personnel land mines; the previous Government would not do that. We have signed the Ottawa treaty; the previous Government refused to do so. In the past year, we have already destroyed almost half the stocks of anti-personnel land mines. We shall ratify the treaty when the time is available, but we have already acted on our obligations, unlike other parties, which did not think that we should ratify.

Mr. Martin Bell (Tatton)

Does the Secretary of State agree, in a slightly less partisan manner, that it is necessary to ratify the treaty before the recess, or the anniversary of the death of the princess? What better way is there to honour her memory?

Mr. Robertson

The hon. Gentleman is never partisan in his questions. I appreciate the concern that we should live up to our obligations; we shall. We are in the first Session of a new Parliament. There is considerable congestion in the legislative timetable. We shall ratify the treaty as quickly as possible when there is time. I venture to suggest that the princess, who gave so much attention to the cause of eliminating anti-personnel land mines, would have been more interested in the efforts and energy of the Government to ensure that countries that have not yet signed the treaty do so, and to get rid of the stocks of anti-personnel land mines, which, as I have already announced, we are doing more quickly than any other country.