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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) of 17 February, Official Report, column 365, if he will list the types of mines and specified conventional weapons which are prohibited or restricted by the UN protocol as amended on 3 May 1996. [17243] Mr. Arbuthnot: In summary, amended protocol II of the UN weaponry convention contains the following relevant prohibitions and restrictions. It prohibits the use and transfer of: land mines, booby-traps or other devices which are designed or of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering; non-detectable anti-personnel land mines; mines, booby-traps or other devices which employ a mechanism or device specifically designed to detonate the munition by the presence of commonly available mine detectors; self-deactivating mines equipped with an anti-handling device that is designed in such a manner that the anti-handling device is capable of functioning after the mine has ceased to be capable of functioning. It places restrictions on the use and transfer of: land mines, including anti-personnel land mines and remotely delivered land mines. It also places restrictions on the use of: booby traps; other devices (these are defined as "manually-emplaced munitions and devices including improvised explosive devices designed to kill, injure or damage and which are actuated manually, by remote control or automatically after a lapse of time").

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

17243; 291 c120W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Arms trade Landmines Treaties Weapons Sanctions