Yugoslavia (Hansard, 28 January 1994)

§ Mr. Llew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the country of manufacture of guns obtained by Serbian forces since July 1992 which have been used against(a) British service men and (b) Bosnian civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
Serbia has an extensive arms manufacturing capability. Most weapons held by Serb forces are produced domestically, although it is possible that they may have procured guns from other countries since July 1992.
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We have no information that Serb forces have used foreign-manufactured weapons either against British service men or Bosnian civilians.

§ Mr. Ainger
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what(a) financial help and (b) technical and professional help his Department is contributing to the United Nations Human Rights Commission investigation into alleged war crimes in former Yugoslavia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The United Kingdom provides financial assistance to the United Nations commission of experts through its contributions to the United Nations regular budget. We have also submitted to the commission three batches of substantiated evidence on war crimes, including a requested report on rape, collated by the Ministry of Defence's defence debriefing team.

§ Mr. Ainger
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department passed on to the United Nations Human Rights Commission all the testimonies of witnesses to and victims of alleged war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The Ministry of Defence's debriefing team has inteviewed over 4,000 entrants to the United Kingdom from the former Yugoslavia since the conflict began. This material has been collated and substantiated evidence submitted to the commission of experts in three separate batches. We will continue to submit such evidence as it becomes available.

§ Mr. Ainger
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department is co-operating with the UN Human Rights Commission investigation into alleged war crimes in former Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
The United Kingdom co-sponsored Security Council resolution 780 of 6 October 1992 which established the UN commission of experts. Since its establishment we have submitted to the commission three batches of substantiated evidence, including a requested report on rape. Later this year we will submit further evidence following a request from the commission for information on specific regions.