§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps need to be taken to enable the number of civilian casualties killed by British forces in Iraq since the end of the conflict to be ascertained.[141675]
§ Mr. IngramAll casualties witnessed by UK forces are reported, but it is not always possible to determine accurately the number of casualties that occur during a particular incident. For example, in some incidents, 235W Iraqi injured and/or dead may have been taken away by their compatriots before UK Forces could investigate. In other incidents, UK forces have been forced to withdraw from situations before an accurate assessment of the number of casualties could be made. In such incidents we have no reliable means of ascertaining the number of casualties and there are no practical steps we could take to do so.
§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has examined on the alleged shooting of a demonstrator by British forces in Basra on(a)4 October and (b) 9 August.[141678]
§ Mr. IngramI am aware of allegations of an incident during a demonstration on 9 August but no civilian casualties were reported.
On 4 October, on the periphery of a demonstration, British soldiers killed an Iraqi gunman in self-defence. His automatic weapon and ammunition were recovered.
§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has examined on the alleged deaths of Iraqi civilians in British custody on(a) 13 and (b) 18 May.[141679]
§ Mr. IngramThere are investigations underway of alleged deaths of Iraqis while in custody but I am not aware of any involving deaths which occurred on 13 or 18 May 2003.
§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines have been issued to UK military personnel in relation to the use of force in non-combat situations in Southern Iraq.[141682]
§ Mr. IngramThe Rules Of Engagement issued to UK forces in Iraq govern all use of force. Rules of Engagement are confidential and withheld in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
§ Mrs. LiddellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the likely future levels of the(a) Royal Navy and (b) Royal Air Force presence in the Iraq theatre.[143731]
§ Mr. IngramWe keep force levels under constant review but there are no current plans to alter the major Royal Navy or RAF assets deployed to Operation Telic. I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 5 January 2004,Official Report, column 30W.