Iraq (Hansard, 16 January 2002)

§ Mr. Alan Simpson
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been killed and injured as a result of bombing raids on Iraq since 1991 and what discussions have been held with the UN co-ordinator in Iraq about the documentation and verification of the casualty figures. [27174]

§ Mr. Ingram
The coalition only ever targets, in self-defence, Iraqi military facilities that pose a threat to its forces carrying out legitimate patrols of the no-fly zones. The coalition goes to exceptional lengths to ensure civilian casualties are kept to the absolute minimum possible, including the employment of very carefully controlled targeting procedures and precision guided munitions.
In practice, it is extremely difficult to give estimates of civilian casualties, despite the painstaking battle-damage assessment (BDA) that the coalition routinely carries out every time ordnance is released. The Ministry of Defence has no objective means of verifying Iraqi claims of civilian casualties; I am not therefore in a position to provide the information requested by my hon. Friend. However, we can demonstrate categorically that many of the Iraqi claims of civilian casualties are either exaggerated or wholly untrue.
On a number of occasions the Iraqis have claimed that coalition aircraft have caused civilian casualties when allied aircraft have not released any munitions, or even been flying. On 19 June 2001, for example, it seems very probable that the civilian casualties, which the Iraqis claimed were caused by coalition activities, were in fact caused by an Iraqi munition. No ordnance was dropped by the coalition on 19 June. There have also been many instances when the Iraqis claimed civilians have been killed, where our BDA has clearly indicated that only military facilities were attacked.
There have been no discussions with the UN Co-ordinator in Iraq about the documentation or verification of civilian casualties. The UN Co-ordinator in Iraq is responsible for implementing the humanitarian programme under the UN Oil for Food arrangements. He has no role in the no-fly zones.

§ Mr. Alan Simpson
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions during 2001 the UK was involved in missions that involved(a) bombing and (b) firing into Iraq. [27173]

§ Mr. Ingram
During 2001, the coalition responded in self-defence against the Iraqi air defence system on 44 occasions. Of these, UK aircraft released precision guided munitions on 14 occasions. In the majority of the remaining 30, UK aircraft provided indirect support to other coalition aircraft but did not release weapons.

§ Mr. Alan Simpson
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost of enforcing the no fly zones in Iraq since the war officially ceased. [27172]
329W

§ Mr. Ingram
Information is not recorded separately that identifies expenditure incurred in maintaining the no fly zones. However, the table sets out the overall additional expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence as a direct result of operations in the Gulf from 1992–93 onwards.

£ million

1992–93 551

1993–94 179

1994–95 58

1995–96 14

1996–97 6

1997–98 16

1998–99 35

1999–2000 28

2000–01 25

2001–02¹ ²22

¹ Estimate

² Calculated on a Resource Accounting basis; all previous figures are cash-based

	£ million
1992–93	551
1993–94	179
1994–95	58
1995–96	14
1996–97	6
1997–98	16
1998–99	35
1999–2000	28
2000–01	25
2001–02¹	²22
¹ Estimate
² Calculated on a Resource Accounting basis; all previous figures are cash-based