Anti-personnel Mines (Hansard, 25 October 1999)

§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence of the anti-personnel mines stored by the MoD how many and what percentage of the total were destroyed in each year since 1991. [94663]
695W

§ Mr. Spellar
The UK no longer stores any operational anti-personnel mines. The last of the Army's operational stocks of APMs were destroyed on 22 February this year. The destruction programme for the last of the RAF's operational stocks of APMs—the HB 876 sub-munition for the JP233 weapon system—was completed on 19 October 1999. Available figures for anti-personnel mines destroyed by the UK are shown in the table.

Designation Year Quantity Total destroyed (%)

C3 Elsie 1995–96 374,257 64

1996–97 106,263 18

1998–99 99,788 17

¹Retained 1,056 Less than 1

581,364 100

Mine and Discharger 1995–96 41,472 3

Barrel Assembly 1995–97 596,664 39

(Ranger) 1998–99 876,960 58

¹Retained 2,088 —

1,517,184 100

Mine A/Tk L27A1 1995–96 4 Less than 1

1997–97 4,870 100

4,874 100

Mine A/P HE M86 1993–94 204 100

JP233 1997–98 6 0.4

1998–99 1,385 99.6

1,391 100

¹As permitted under Article 3 of the Ottawa Convention, the UK will continue to retain the minimum necessary numbers of live APMs for training and testing in de-mining techniques. Other, inert, training APMs are not included in these figures.

§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what target date his Department has set to destroy all the anti-personnel mines it currently holds. [94664]

§ Mr. Spellar
I am pleased to announce that the last operational UK anti-personnel mines—the HB 876 sub-munition to the RAF's JP 233 weapon system—were destroyed on 19 October. We have completed the UK's destruction programme over three years ahead of the timeframe laid down in the Ottawa Convention. The destruction programme was accelerated to demonstrate to the world the UK's clear and unequivocal commitment to the Ottawa Convention. As provided for in Article 3 of the Ottawa Convention, the UK will continue to hold the minimum necessary numbers of anti-personnel mines for the development of and training in mine detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques.

Designation	Year	Quantity	Total destroyed (%)
C3 Elsie	1995–96	374,257	64
	1996–97	106,263	18
	1998–99	99,788	17
	¹Retained	1,056	Less than 1
		581,364	100
Mine and Discharger	1995–96	41,472	3
Barrel Assembly	1995–97	596,664	39
(Ranger)	1998–99	876,960	58
	¹Retained	2,088	—
		1,517,184	100
Mine A/Tk L27A1	1995–96	4	Less than 1
	1997–97	4,870	100
		4,874	100
Mine A/P HE M86	1993–94	204	100
JP233	1997–98	6	0.4
	1998–99	1,385	99.6
		1,391	100
¹As permitted under Article 3 of the Ottawa Convention, the UK will continue to retain the minimum necessary numbers of live APMs for training and testing in de-mining techniques. Other, inert, training APMs are not included in these figures.