§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision, in the agreement with the Kenyan Government on military training is made for the British Army to clean up live bombs after operations. [3219]
§ Mr. IngramThere is no agreement between the British Army and the Kenyan Government for the clearance of live ammunition after training. There is, however, a widely understood military protocol whereby the host nation is responsible for the clearance of military ranges and this is followed in Kenya. The British Army aims to destroy the ammunition it uses as soon as possible after it has been fired. In Kenya, destruction takes place while the units are conducting their training and at the end of the exercise period. Notwithstanding that, in the last two years the British Army has carried out clearance work in support of the Kenyan authorities.
The British Army is alone in that it also trains on privately owned land in Kenya in addition to using Kenyan Department of Defence facilities. The British Army clears any unexploded ordnance from privately owned land as required by their agreements with local landowners.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what point the military clearance operation in North Kenya was suspended after the unexploded ordnance specialist left the area. [2795]
§ Mr. IngramI assume my hon. Friend is referring to the clearance operation which took place at Archer's Post earlier this year. The operation was not suspended. It was a planned activity that took place between 7 April and 16 May. The dates for the operation were agreed last year.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the procedure is for the clearing of civilians before and after military training in the Archer's Post and Dol Dol training areas of north Kenya; [2784]
(2) what provision his Department has made to stop civilian entry into the testing grounds that the British Army use in Archer's Post and Dol Dol in northern Kenya. [2794]
§ Mr. IngramThe responsibility for ensuring that civilians are cleared from the Archer's Post and Dol Dol training areas rests with the Kenyan Department of Defence. Wherever the British Army trains with live ammunition it must confirm that the danger area is clear before commencing training. At Archer's Post this is achieved by using range wardens, a helicopter overflight of the danger area and the deployment of danger flags and 3W sentries. The sentries and range wardens act to stop civilians entering Archer's Post while training is in progress.
The British Army does not conduct live firing at the Dol Dol area.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will take responsibility for the deaths and injuries caused by unexploded ordnance in the Archer's Post and Dol Dol areas. [2780]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence's position is that we take responsibility for deaths and injuries where we are shown to be legally liable.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will ensure that all signs outside training areas used by the British Army in Kenya are intelligible to people who cannot read. [2791]
§ Mr. IngramThere are large concrete signs outside live firing areas used by the British Army in Kenya, with words of warning written in English and Samburu. The nomadic tribesman have been grazing their animals in the area for a considerable number of years and are aware that some of the area is a Kenyan Department of Defence live firing military range as it has been for many years. We therefore believe that the signs are well understood by both the local population and nomadic tribesmen that transit the area. My hon. Friend may also wish to note that the range wardens employed throughout the year by the British Army instruct the local population about the dangers posed during live firing and from touching unexploded ordnance.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any of the unexploded ordnance found in the Archer's Post and Dol Dol training areas were from the British Army. [2792]
§ Mr. IngramI assume my hon. Friend is referring to recent activities where the British Army, in support of the Kenyan Department of Defence, conducted limited clearance operations at Archer's Post. During 2000 a total of 32 ammunition types were recovered, only two of which were found to be unique to the British Army. The Royal Engineers are continuing to analyse the ammunition found earlier this year.
We do not conduct live firing at the Dol Dol training area and have therefore not conducted an explosive ordnance clearance operation at the range. Any live unexploded ordnance found at Dol Dol is therefore a matter for the Kenyan authorities.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many square kilometres of the Archer's Post range were cleared in the operation from March to May. [3208]
§ Mr. IngramThe clearance operation covered 64 square kilometres.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many live bombs were found in the recent clean-up operation of Archer's Post from March to May; how many were British made; and how many had batch numbers showing who had fired them; and of these how many had been fired by the British Army. [3207]
4W
§ Mr. IngramDuring the recent clearance operation at Archer's Post a total of 271 live ammunition types were found. Work is continuing to establish their provenance.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the British Army first was informed that people were being(a) injured and (b) killed on the Archer's Post and Dol Dol range by live bombs. [3220]
§ Mr. IngramIn recent times, the British Army has been aware of three incidents where civilians were killed or injured at Archer's Post. The first of these incidents is believed to have taken place in May 1999.
§ Mr. CatonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the British Army intends to clean up the live bombs about which they were informed by Osiligi representatives in late 2000. [3209]
§ Mr. IngramI understand that the ordnance to which my hon. Friend refers was found at the Dol Dol training area. The British Army does not conduct live firing at Dol Dol, and any live ammunition found there is therefore a matter for the Kenyan authorities.