§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what checks her Department carried out on the suitability of Defence Systems Ltd. prior to awarding the company a contract to clear mines and unexploded munitions in Kosovo. [122129]
§ Clare ShortWhen NATO troops entered Kosovo in June 1999, we invited a number of mine/unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance organisations to submit124W capability statements so that self-contained rapid response teams could be immediately provided to deal with the mine threat in Kosovo. Five organisations, including DSL, were selected for an initial period of two months, on the basis of experience in stated capabilities, quality of key personnel, experience in humanitarian mine action, ability to deploy quickly the requisite skills, equipment and back-up, value for money and knowledge of the region.
The United Nations Mine Action Co-ordination Centre (UNMACC) in Pristina later requested the services of these organisations, including DSL, for two further phases: another three months of emergency work; a phase for the year 2000 to address the mine/UXO threat in a more structured way. For the present phase, DSL and the other organisations were invited to submit detailed proposals which were assessed as above, in the light of their earlier performance in Kosovo and their ability to meet UNMACC's future needs. Before entering into a long-term contract with DSL, we consulted a range of Government departments, as is our normal practice in such cases.
DSL has been accredited by UNMACC for work in Kosovo and has been commended both as a field operator and as a co-ordinator of mine action activities in southern Kosovo.