§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the threat to allied aircraft from(a) Iraqi aircraft and (b) Iraqi surface-to-air missile installations.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe recent coalition air attacks have seriously degraded the Iraqi ground-based air defence system in the south, and since 27 December the Iraqi air force has lost a number of its most sophisticated fighters in air-to-air engagements with coalition aircraft. As a result coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone can do so in greater safety. We are continuing closely to monitor the potential threat posed to coalition aircraft from the Iraqi air defences.
§ Mrs. Helen JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of Iraqi(a) military personnel and (b) citizens who were killed or were injured and required hospital treatment as a result of the recent bombing raids on Iraq.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonWe do not have definitive casualty figures. Figures released by the Iraqi authorities indicate that 27 people died and eight were injured in the coalition military action on 13, 17 and 18 January. From the information available it is not possible to separate these figures into military civilian totals.