Mine Clearance (Hansard, 18 May 1995)

§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)
My Lords, we concentrate our funding on the worst affected countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, northern Iraq and Mozambique. We have also provided such assistance to north-west Somalia, Rwanda and Yemen.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, is the Minister aware that what she has been doing so far to deal with this appalling situation is welcomed widely by the humanitarian agencies and those working with them, as I myself welcome it? Does she agree that the facts are grim: some 2,000 anti-personnel mine injuries worldwide, not least to children, each month; up to 1,500 consequent amputations each month; and long-term damage to agricultural production as large areas of land become impossible to farm? In the light of all that, will the Minister tell the House what new measures the Government will be proposing at the UN Inhumane Weapons Convention in September to bring an end to that sinister slaughter of the innocents and all the economic damage involved?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Judd, for his welcome for what we have been able to do so far. In the past four years we have spent some £15 million on mine clearance and making people aware of the existence of mines which can be anywhere where there has been armed conflict. There is always the danger of old hidden mines. Unfortunately other countries are unlike ourselves in that, where we use mines, as we did in the Gulf War and the Falklands, we clear them all up afterwards. In response to the noble Lord's other question, the figures are grim. They are very grim indeed. I am working to ensure that we take action. He asked me about new measures for the conference in September. We are now discussing what further action we can take, and I shall be in touch with him about that.

§ Viscount Slim
My Lords, first, perhaps I may thank the Minister for a visit she made on VE Day in Hyde Park to the Halo mine clearance organisation. It was received with interest, and her support is greatly appreciated. What steps do the Government take to ensure the future well-being of those very brave British volunteers who undertake the whole area of removing mines and making them safe in uncharted minefields? She met one of them who has no arm and no leg. What does her department do to insure for the future lives of those who are wounded or 662 disabled? Can she give some assurance that their lives are insured or partially insured by Her Majesty's Government?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, perhaps I may thank the noble Viscount for what he said and for mentioning the Halo Trust. I pay tribute to it and all the other organisations which are so active with us in trying to clear mines. The noble Viscount asked me about the protection of those who go out to train others in mine clearance. Obviously serving officers in the British Forces who do some of that work are covered. It is up to the NGOs to provide the insurance for others. That is part of the whole matter at which we are looking. This work is incredibly badly needed when one thinks that there are some 80 million to 110 million land mines scattered through 62 countries. We must get on with this job, and I shall be doing all that I can to assist the process.

§ Lord Jenkins of Putney
My Lords, can the Minister tell the House that these land mines are no longer manufactured in or exported from this country?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, the UK has neither produced nor exported anti-personnel land mines for several years. The agreement on 15th March extended the national export moratorium. There is now a total ban on the UK export of non-self-destructing and non-detectable anti-personnel land mines, and a ban on the export of all anti-personnel land mines to countries which have not ratified the 1981 UN Weaponry Convention. In some cases it is of course necessary to use land mines, but that will be rare. One example which I believe noble Lords will understand is a land border such as that between Finland and Russia, which for many years could not be policed except by the responsible use of land mines; Finland knowing where the land mines had been put. That is what we must aim for if there are any circumstances in which they have to be used.

Lord Morris
My Lords, is my noble friend in a position to report on the progress of the clearance of mines in the charted areas in the Falkland Islands?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, it is my understanding that any mines that might have been laid by Her Majesty's Forces have been cleared away. There was a problem with mines which we believed to have been laid by others in the Falkland Islands. We hope that those have all been cleared away. Action was taken by the MoD to try to ensure that.

§ Lord Dubs
My Lords, may I put to the Minister that there is one simple—

Noble Lords
Question!

§ Lord Dubs
My Lords, I am asking a question. Does the Minister accept that there is one simple policy which we should urge upon all countries, and that is that there should be a complete ban on the manufacture, sale and export of anti-personnel land mines, and that anything short of that will result in the continuing deaths and maiming of innocent people the world over?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, it is a noble aspiration that there could be one simple policy. I am afraid that the world is not as noble as the noble Lord, 663 Lord Dubs. We have a huge task to undertake to get rid of land mines. We are trying not to make it worse for the future by controlling, as I explained in answer to an earlier question, their production and export. As I said, the UK has neither produced nor exported anti-personnel land mines for several years. We cannot make, but we can encourage and are encouraging, other countries to do likewise.

§ Lord Wright of Richmond
My Lords, can the Minister give the House any information on the progress towards ratification of the two additional protocols of the Geneva Convention?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I cannot at present, but it is hoped that a way will be found to ensure that those protocols can be ratified.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the Minister aware that members of the Royal British Legion are most concerned about the situation because many ex-sappers who have undertaken such work have lost their lives? It is a most dangerous job and if there are any issues in relation to this matter about which the Minister would like to talk to those in the British Legion they will be only too pleased.

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I am very glad to hear that.