Self-destruct Landmines

HL Deb 08 May 1996 vol 572 cc14-5WA

Baroness Jeger

asked Her Majesty's Government:

For how long self-destruct landmines remain dangerous.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe)

The length of time that a self-destruct mine remains active before it is destroyed varies according to the type of mine and its operational role. At the United Nations Weaponry Convention Review Conference, which concluded on 3rd May 1996, agreement was reached on the duration and reliability of self-destruct mechanisms fitted to anti-personnel mines. This requires that any anti-personnel mine which is activated should self-destruct within 30 days with a reliability of 90 per cent. Of those activated mines which fail to self-destruct within 30 days, 99.9 per cent. must become de-activated within a maximum period of 120 days.

The United Kingdom does not currently have any anti-personnel mines with this capability, but if it becomes necessary to procure future stocks, these would comply with the minimum requirement set at this conference.

Anti-tank mines are not covered by the convention in this respect.