HC Deb 30 November 1989 vol 162 cc358-9W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, in tabular form, each incident at Canadian forces base, Suffield, in which British service men have been injured, giving the date of each incident, the number of soldiers injured and the nature and extent of their injuries.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The information requested is set out in the table:

Date of incident and nature/extent of injuries
Number injured
7 June 1984: minor injuries 3
5 September 1985: burns face and forearm 1
19 October 1985: eye injury 2
31 October 1985: minor gun shot wound to right forearm 1
31 July 1986: smoke inhalation 1
28 August 1986: eye injury 1
24 September 1986: injuries to leg 1
4 June 1987: fatal 2
17 July 1987: 1 fatality, 2 minor injuries 3

Number injured
17 August 1987: minor injuries 1
9 May 1988: minor injury to left temple 1
2 August 1988: lacerations to forehead 1
7 August 1988: gun shot wound to left ankle 1
25 August 1988: calf injuries 1
22 September 1988: burns to right arm 1
5 May 1989: gun shot wound to chest/leg 1
16 May 1989: injuries resulting from road traffic accident 1
30 May 1989: burns to hands 1
7 July 1989: serious leg injuries resulting in amputations 3
26 July 1989: wound to left leg 1
29 July 1989: gun shot wounds 2
8 August 1989: compound fracture of two fingers 1
26 August 1989: flash burns to right hand 1

The British Army training unit (BATUS) is located within the Canadian Forces base at Suffield. It provides the British Army with invaluable facilities for tactical live firing and manoeuvre exercises at battle group level. During this five-year period, approximately 45,000 service men have trained there. Safety procedures are given a high priority.

Forward to