Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party) on Thursday, 18 September 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 November 2003. It was answered by Denis MacShane (Labour) on Monday, 10 November 2003 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many (a) casualties and (b) injuries in Kosovo were directly attributable to (i) mines, (ii) de-mining activities and (iii) cluster bomb submunition in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.
Answer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) casualties and (b) injuries in Kosovo were directly attributable to (i) mines, (ii) de-mining activities and (iii) cluster bomb submunition in each year since 1999; and if he will make a statement. [131794] Mr. MacShane: I have been asked to reply. The Government do not keep detailed records of this type of information. The figures in the following table have been provided by the UN Mine Action Co- ordination Centre (UNMACC) in Kosovo. The UK was the first country to have de-miners on the ground in Kosovo. Their de-mining activities have included clearance of unexploded munitions such as cluster bomb submunitions. The Government have spent over £10 million on de-mining activities in the Balkans, over £5 million of which was spent in 1999-2000 on de-mining in Kosovo. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Mines Unexploded ordnance Cluster bomb Totals submunitions Killed Injured Killed Injured Killed Injured Killed Injured June 1999-December 2000 35 227 6 10 51 106 1476 2001 2 3 4 10 3 0 9 13 2002 0 1 5 7 3 0 8 8 2003 (1 January -30 0 3 1 9 2 0 3 12 September _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Collection of statistics began in 2000 and was backdated to June 1999. It is known that 101 persons were killed and 375 were injured between June 1999 and December 2000. However, of these 476 deaths or injuries, only 435, shown in the appropriate columns, can be attributed with certainty to a particular type of weapon, the remaining 13 deaths and 28 injuries having been caused by an unknown type. One deminer was killed by a cluster bomb submunition and 36 injured by mines between 1999 and 2001.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
131794; 413 c60W
Session
2002-03
Subjects
Death Casualties Civilians Bombs Landmines Kosovo
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk