HL Deb 11 March 1993 vol 543 cc1142-4

3.28 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:

What support they are giving to the recently arranged United Nations humanitarian operation to drop food and medical supplies to besieged communities in Bosnia.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, we are providing about £250,000 worth of food to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to be airdropped by the United States Air Force to besieged communities in Bosnia. However, the bulk of UNHCR's relief supplies to Bosnia are delivered by road and we continue to play a leading role in this operation.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I am grateful to be left a short time to ask this Question and thank my noble friend for her reply. The participation of the United States is to be welcomed, as also is the absence of casualties from the airdrop. But is it not vital that roads should also be kept open? Is she aware that land convoys can provide much more in supplies and also more accuracy and certainty in delivery?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, my noble friend is absolutely right. The British fleet of 43 trucks has delivered since June last year some 18,000 tonnes of supplies and the British forces on the ground have helped in the bad weather to keep many of the roads open.

Lord Mellish

My Lords, will the noble Baroness confirm that the Serbs are holding up a great deal of the aid which is vital to some of the besieged communities? What are we doing about the Serbs?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, we are standing up to them and intend to go on doing so with the help of those brave troops on the ground who are allowing the British convoys certainly to deliver.

Lord Molloy

My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that we have seen on television rather sad pictures of United Nations aid, food and medical supplies not going to the besieged but being used by the besiegers? Ought there not to be more military action taken to ensure that those doing the besieging are pushed back to the areas from which they came so that ultimately there will be no need to drop supplies? Should we not be able to develop a civilised approach to these problems which does not involve people suffering in such a manner, not even receiving the United Nations supplies of food and medical aid?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, I am not sure to what television programme the noble Lord refers. However, I can tell him that the work of UNHCR in co-ordinating the international response has gone a good deal better than is indicated by the isolated incidents to which he refers. The total spending from all sources to the end of 1992 was estimated to be £550 million on giving aid, excluding the costs of UNPROFOR. The vast majority of it reached the intended recipients.

Lord Monson

My Lords, does the noble Baroness agree that it would be even more helpful to drop ammunition to beleaguered communities in Bosnia so that they could defend themselves against the threat of massacre?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, no.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the world has the greatest admiration for the efforts being made by British relief agencies and Her Majesty's troops? However, does she also agree that the calls for military intervention are extremely dangerous? They would be a hindrance to continued relief operations and, indeed, inflict on the troops involved and many innocent civilians greater casualties than are at present being experienced.

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, for the first time in nearly 11 months in this House it is my pleasure to say that I entirely agree with the noble Lord.

Lord Judd

My Lords, does the Minister agree that airdrops of this kind are inevitably uncertain? Land supplies are the real priority. Will she confirm that the mandate for UN humanitarian action envisages all necessary protective action to guarantee land supplies? Can the Minister assure the House that the Government are determined that everything will be done to fulfil that mandate and guarantee those land supplies?

Baroness Chalker of Wallasey

My Lords, yes. That is what we have been seeking to do. But the nature of the problem on the ground, as I have seen for myself, is such that, with the best will in the world, we are trying to overcome some of the toughest and hardest fighters that probably any troops have ever encountered.