Land Mines, Bosnia (Hansard, 15 January 1996)

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel are involved in the implementation force de-mining effort in Bosnia; and what form of training they have received; [9003]
(2) if he will make a statement about the progress of the IFOR de-mining effort in Bosnia; and if it is running to schedule; [8986]
(3) what assessment he has made of the problems posed by land mines placed in Bosnia; and if he will make a statement. [9001]

§ Mr. Soames
The UK's contribution to IFOR includes 42 service personnel who are specially trained in explosive ordnance disposal. Their role is, however, limited to monitoring and co-ordinating the programme for the clearance of mines and related deices, except where there is a serious threat to life or where clearance is necessary to allow IFOR to complete assigned tasks. Otherwise, under the terms of the peace agreement, clearance is the responsibility of the consenting parties themselves. They are required to complete clearance within the zones of separation by 19 January. The work is in progress, although efforts are being hampered by poor weather and incomplete minefield records.

§ Dr. Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service personnel have been injured as(a) a direct and (b) an indirect consequence of land mines placed in Bosnian territory; [8984]
(2) how many service personnel have been injured as part of the IFOR de-mining effort in Bosnia. [9005]

§ Mr. Soames
Information is not available in the format requested. However, since operations began in the former Yugoslavia, three British service personnel have been killed and eight seriously injured in mine explosions, none of these during IFOR's operations.

§ Dr. Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cost of the IFOR de-mining effort in Bosnia. [9004]

§ Mr. Soames
It is not possible to identify separately the estimated cost of IFOR's monitoring and co-ordinating of the mine clearance programme which is itself the responsibility of the parties to the peace agreement.