Written question asked by Robert Key (Conservative) on Tuesday, 3 February 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 February 1998. It was answered by Tony Lloyd (Labour) on Monday, 9 February 1998 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what offers of assistance have been (a) received, (b) discussed and (c) accepted from the government of Argentina to assist British troops with mine clearance in the Falkland Islands.

Answer: Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers of assistance have been (a) received, (b) discussed and (c) accepted from the Government of Argentina to assist British troops with mine clearance in the Falkland Islands. [28224] Mr. Tony Lloyd: In 1993, the Argentine Government offered to assist with demining and to meet the cost. The matter was last discussed by Ministers at a meeting between the Foreign Secretary and Dr. di Tella in November 1997, and by officials at a routine meeting earlier this week. We are committed to meeting our obligations under the Ottawa Convention. It is currently considering how best to achieve this in the mined areas on the Falkland Islands. Comprehensive clearance work on the minefields was stopped soon after the conflict following a number of serious incidents involving clearance personnel.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 28224; 306 c41-2W
Session: 1997-98
Subjects: Bomb disposal Landmines Falkland Islands Foreign relations Ottawa Convention Argentina