Written question asked by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 18 May 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 29 July 1998. It was answered by Doug Henderson (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 July 1998 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of remediating depleted uranium contaminated battlefields in Kuwait and Iraq.

Answer: Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of remediating depleted uranium contaminated battlefields in Kuwait and Iraq. [43051] Mr. Doug Henderson: The Ministry of Defence has made no assessment of the advantages of remediating areas in Kuwait and Iraq in which depleted uranium (DU) based ammunition was fired during the Gulf conflict; nor has any specific review of the environmental and health effects of firing this ammunition in the Gulf been undertaken by MOD. The Government do not have any information concerning the levels of DU currently present in Kuwait or southern Iraq and cannot, therefore, comment on this matter in any detail. The use of the DU rounds by UK forces was not in conflict with the United Nations Charter or any other International agreement or convention. In the use of these rounds and other weaponry, my Department complies strictly with international law.

Secondary information