The Gulf (Hansard, 20 March 1991)

§ Mr. Blunkett
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies employed on behalf of his Department to give advice. or to undertake other work on public relations and similar matters, during the Gulf crisis; if he will indicate the amount of money spent on remuneration for the companies involved; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The only companies employed by the Ministry of Defence on work on public relations and similar matters during the Gulf crisis have been employed to provide administrative support services, such as transcription services and provision of press cuttings. Principal among these companies have been the Broadcast Monitoring Company and Lincoln Hannah Ltd.
Details of payments to individual companies are generally a matter of commercial confidentiality.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any employees of British defence companies were sent to the Gulf region to provide assistance to the armed forces as part of Operation Granby.

§ Mr. Alan Clark
Yes.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate number of(a) combat and (b) non-combat sorties carried out by the Royal Air Force as a part of Operation Granby.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The RAF flew over 4,000 combat and 2,500 non-combat sorties from the commencement of the air campaign until the cessation of hostilities. Some 9,000 sorties were also flown in support of Operation Granby prior to 17 January 1991, 8,000 by combat aircraft and 1,000 by non-combat aircraft.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the role of British industry in supporting Operation Granby.

§ Mr. Alan Clark
The United Kingdom defence industry responded admirably to our requirements during all stages of Operation Granby.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of(a) British and (b) coalition casualities involved in Operation Granby; and if he will make a statement detailing the numbers killed or wounded and whether these casualties resulted from combat or non-combat operations.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Twenty-five service men are confirmed to have been killed and 43 injured in action. A further 19 have been killed in non-combat accidents in the Gulf since 2 August 1990. Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to provide information on casualties sustained by coalition partners.
166W

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the approximate amount and type of ordnance delivered by the Royal Air Force as part of Operation Granby.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
The RAF delivered over 3,000 tonnes of ordnance during the air campaign in support of operations in the Gulf. This total comprised over 100 JP233 airfield denial weapons, some 6,000 bombs, of which over 1,000 were laser-guided, over 100 anti-radar missiles and nearly 700 air-to-ground rockets.

§ Mr. McFall
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his Department's assessment of the number of Kuwaiti civilians seized and taken to Iraq between 2 August 1990 and the cessation of hostilities;
(2) what is his Department's assessment of the number of Kuwaitis seized by the Iraqi forces between 2 August 1990 and the cessation of hostilities that are still unaccounted for.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
I have been asked to reply.
We understand that the total number of missing Kuwaitis is estimated at 33,000. This is made up of 6,000 prisoners of war, 5,000 Kuwaitis who are known to have been taken to Iraq, and 22,000 whose fate is still unknown. The Kuwaiti authorities have established registration centres to enable Kuwaiti families to give details of missing persons.