HC Deb 16 January 1995 vol 252 c367W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether United Kingdom forces in battle during(a) the Falklands and (b) the Gulf conflicts deployed any of their stocks of German manufactured anti-personnel mines.

Mr. Soames

The UK has not held stocks of German manufactured anti-personnel mines since 1983. The last such mines still held at the time of the Falklands conflict were obsolete and were not deployed with British forces.

Mr. Pickthall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which manufacturers are currently supplying the United Kingdom armed forces with anti-personnel land mines, including those with self-destruct or self-neutralising mechanisms.

Mr. Freeman

None.

Mr. Pickthall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of anti-personnel land mines, including those with self-destruct or self-neutralising mechanisms, are currently in use or stocked by the United Kingdom armed forces.

Mr. Freeman

The United Kingdom armed forces have in stock and available for use the following anti-personnel land mines:

  1. (a) Mine, anti-personnel C3 (Elsie)
  2. (b) Mine, anti-personnel M18 A1 (Claymore)
  3. (c) Mine, anti-personnel L10 (Ranger)

None of the above types have self-destruct or self-neutralising mechanisms.

Mr. Pickthall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definitions are used by his Department for(a) self-destruct and (b) self-neutralising anti-personnel land mines.

Mr. Freeman

The Ministry of Defence is using the definitions included in the draft of protocol II of the UN weaponry convention, namely:

  1. (a) Self-destruction mechanism means an incorporated automatically functioning mechanism which secures the destruction of the munition.
  2. (b) Self-neutralising mechanism means an incorporated automatically functioning mechanism which renders a munition inoperable.

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