HC Deb 03 July 1996 vol 280 cc462-3W
Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what considerations led him to lease Croatian-controlled land around Glamoc as a live firing range. [35362]

Mr. Soames

The range is used by NATO-led implementation force troop contributors to maintain their tactical skills and operational effectiveness and to demonstrate the force's capabilities.

Mrs. Clwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment was made by his Department of the humanitarian consequences of using Croatian-controlled territory around Glamoc as a live testing range. [35363]

Mr. Soames

The firing range at Glamoc is used by the NATO-led implementation force, IFOR, for training purposes, not for the testing of weapons, under an agreement with the local authorities. The same stringent procedures to ensure safety and to minimise the environmental and humanitarian impact of ranges are used by the British Army wherever it trains. The Glamoc range is in a remote area away from any centres of population and sited partly on heavily mined areas which are unsuitable for public access.