Written question asked by Chris Ruane (Labour) on Tuesday, 20 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 January 2012. It was answered by Nick Harvey (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 17 January 2012 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Libya: Bombs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the presence of unexploded ordnance left by British Forces in Libya during World War Two.

Answer: We have not specifically assessed the presence of unexploded world war two ordnance in Libya. However, we are working with the UN and international partners to address the very serious issue of unexploded ordnance and weapons contamination caused during the recent uprising. This is preventing Libyan people from returning to their homes and we are urging our allies to increase their contribution to the UN Mine Action Service and other NGOs in order to help the stabilisation and reconstruction of Libya.

Secondary information