Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Thursday, 5 June 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 June 2003. It was answered by Adam Ingram (Labour) on Monday, 16 June 2003 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Ministry of Defence

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what efforts are being made to protect citizens in Iraq from (a) entering the areas where unexploded bomblets are and (b) tampering with them. - (Holding answer 11 June 2003).

Answer: Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts are being made to protect citizens in Iraq from (a) entering the areas where unexploded bomblets are and (b) tampering with them. [118196] Mr. Ingram :[holding answer 11 June 2003]: A coalition-wide operation is currently underway to check and mark all suspected areas of mine and unexploded ordnance contamination. In addition to this, the United Kingdom has made a significant effort to educate the local population in its area of operations about the dangers of mines and unexploded ordnance. UK forces, in conjunction with the Iraqi Mine Action Centre (a part of the Office of the Coalition Provisional Authority), are in the process of marking and documenting around 400 unexploded ordnance sites in the UK area of operation in Southern Iraq. Radio broadcasts are being used to inform the population of marking practices and encouraging them not to tamper with the markers. A Theatre Mine Risk Education Programme has been developed with the support of UNICEF and the ICRC. A poster and leaflet campaign has been carried out, head teachers in Basrah have been briefed and military teams are delivering mine/UXO awareness training to Primary and Secondary schools on a daily basis using material approved by the ICRC.

Secondary information