§ Mrs. Iris Robinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the war graves headstones which had been vandalised at Belfast City Cemetery have now been re-instated; and whether those which were beyond repair were replaced. [119594]
§ Mr. Caplin:Yes. Following a visit by the Director General of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in autumn 2002 it was agreed with the Lord Mayor of Belfast and City officials to re-erect the headstones. To date some 30 headstones have been re-erected and a further 180 replacements are on order and should be replaced on the graves this autumn. The remaining undamaged original headstones, which have been kept in storage, are currently being examined with a view to their reuse.