§ 65. Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Iraqi authorities concerning the bombing of neutral ships in the Gulf.
§ Mr. MellorWe have protested to both Iraq and Iran on a number of occasions about attacks on neutral shipping in the Gulf which we regard as unlawful and in contravention of mandatory UNSCR 598. The last occasion was on 18 May when the Iraqi ambassador was summoned to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to receive a protest following the Iraqi attack on 14 May on a British-registered tanker—the Burmah Endeavour.
83. Mr. Dennis HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British seamen have been killed or injured in attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf.
§ Mr. MellorIt is not possible to give definitive figures. Shipping companies do not report fatalities automatically and the precise whereabouts of British seamen and the circumstances of specific incidents are sometimes unclear. However, as far as we are aware, 11 British seamen have been killed in attacks on shipping in the Gulf. No figure is available for the number of injured.