§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps his Department has taken to identify the number of civilians killed as a consequence of UK 1103W military action in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq; and what measures it adopts to address the needs of dependants; [143595]
(2) what his estimate is of the number of civilians killed (a) directly and (b) indirectly by UK forces during military operations in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq. [143594]
§ Mr. IngramWe make every effort to minimise any impact of the coalition's military action on the Iraqi and Afghanistan populations. We have no reliable means of ascertaining the numbers of Iraqi military personnel or civilians killed during major combat operations in either country.
Since the end of major combat operations in both countries, UK forces have reported all fatalities which arose from incidents in which they were involved and of which they are aware. In cases where we are able to confirm that a civilian fatality has been caused by UK forces, local officials have access to advice to help them assess the needs of dependants.