§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy regarding the question of the marking and mapping of all minefields.
§ Mr. David DavisThe United Kingdom strictly adheres to the 1981 United Nations weaponry convention and its protocols, which govern the use of mines, including the mapping and marking of minefields.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimated proportion of the annual casualties world-wide caused by anti-personnel mines used(a) in accordance with protocol II of the 1980 United Nations inhumane weapons convention and (b) in breach of that protocol.
§ Mr. David DavisReliable estimates of the casualty rates world-wide caused by anti-personnel land mines are not available.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest estimate of the annual casualty rate world-wide resulting from the use of anti-personnel mines of all types.
§ Mr. David DavisReliable estimates of the casualty rates world-wide caused by anti-personnel land mines are not available.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what value is placed on the term excessive as used in protocol II of the United Nations inhumane weapons convention in respect of the relationship between loss of civilian life and military advantage.
§ Mr. David DavisArticle 3, paragraph 3, of protocol II of the said convention prohibits the use of land mines or booby-traps which may be expected to cause incidental civilian losses which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. Whether any such losses might be considered excessive must depend on the individual circumstances of given cases.