HL Deb 13 July 1999 vol 604 cc35-6WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Burlison on 23 June (WA 90–91), what were the economic, political and health effects of (a) the use of depleted uranium (including airborne particles), cluster bombs, and other unconventional weapons; (b) targeting chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical works; (c) targeting the civil water supply; and (d) the use of (classified) weapons that disrupted the civil electricity supply of Belgrade and other towns in Kosovo and Serbia. [HL3519]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)

The economic and political effects of the air campaign were that Serb military and paramilitary forces were forced to withdraw from Kosovo. The health effects of the conflict in Kosovo are to be assessed by a joint task force set up by the UN Environment Programme and the UN Commission on Human Settlements. The UK stands ready to co-operate with that task force.