Written question asked by Michael Moore (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 16 January 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 January 2007. It was answered by Baroness Beckett (Labour) on Thursday, 25 January 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Cluster Munitions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards securing an international agreement on the explosive remnants of war with a particular focus on cluster munitions; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: A Group of Government Experts (GGE) is working within the framework of the convention on certain conventional weapons (CCW) on the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions. This work is an essential preliminary step before any future negotiations that might lead to a new legally binding protocol. The UK played a leading role in pushing for this GGE and will work to ensure it is focused on producing practical results. The UK also played a leading role in securing Protocol V of the CCW on Explosive Remnants of War, which came into force in November 2006. The UK is in the process of ratifying this protocol.

Secondary information