To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the comments of Mr Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, on juvenile justice, pre-trial detention of elected representatives and others, demining of villages and resettlement of refugees in Turkey.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the comments of Mr Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, on juvenile justice, pre-trial detention of elected representatives and others, demining of villages and resettlement of refugees in Turkey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much it cost to run the Army Technical Operation (Bomb Disposal) in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much it cost to run the Army Technical Operation (Bomb Disposal) in Northern Ireland in the latest period for which figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Army technical officers have been called out to deal with (a) suspected and (b) actual explosive devices in Northern Ireland in (i) 2010, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2008, (iv) 2007 and (v) 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Army technical officers have been called out to deal with (a) suspected and (b) actual explosive devices in Northern Ireland in (i) 2010, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2008, (iv) 2007 and (v) 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that British troops have the most advanced equipment to detect land mines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure that British troops have the most advanced equipment to detect land mines.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are funding research into the development of unmanned ground vehicles to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices.

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are funding research into the development of unmanned ground vehicles to counter the threat of improvised explosive devices.

The hon. Gentleman is right: what we want is a world without cluster munitions. We therefore hope that, in the end, every country will sign up to and ratify the convention and cease using cluster munitions. By signing up to the convention, they would also commit themselves to encourage others...

The hon. Gentleman is right: what we want is a world without cluster munitions. We therefore hope that, in the end, every country will sign up to and ratify the convention and cease using cluster munitions. By signing up to the convention, they would also commit themselves to encourage others...

The Minister slightly skipped over the Government's change of heart. Initially we agreed to ban the dumb weapons, such as the BL755 and the M26, but we would continue to use the smart versions. That position has now changed, but given that it was clearly thought at the time that...

The Minister slightly skipped over the Government's change of heart. Initially we agreed to ban the dumb weapons, such as the BL755 and the M26, but we would continue to use the smart versions. That position has now changed, but given that it was clearly thought at the time that...

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the question of how the measure impacts on the armed forces. The MOD has worked with clear and swift purpose to ensure that there is no conflict for individual members of our armed forces. In particular, in Committee we may wish to look...

The hon. Gentleman is right to raise the question of how the measure impacts on the armed forces. The MOD has worked with clear and swift purpose to ensure that there is no conflict for individual members of our armed forces. In particular, in Committee we may wish to look...

I have a choice, but I will give way first to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison).

I have a choice, but I will give way first to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison).

The Government are right to introduce the Bill, but I hope that the Minister is managing his expectations, for the reasons cited by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood). In particular, I would mention the use of white phosphorus, which we abhor but which is being...

The Government are right to introduce the Bill, but I hope that the Minister is managing his expectations, for the reasons cited by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood). In particular, I would mention the use of white phosphorus, which we abhor but which is being...

My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) made reference to the BL755 and the M26 multiple rocket launch system, which are dumb munitions. There could be munitions from other countries—the United States—on British soil that will remain here after we have passed the Bill,...

My hon. and gallant Friend the Member for North-East Milton Keynes (Mr. Lancaster) made reference to the BL755 and the M26 multiple rocket launch system, which are dumb munitions. There could be munitions from other countries—the United States—on British soil that will remain here after we have passed the Bill,...

We are talking about war. If we are going to fight wars, we have to equip our troops with every possible thing that they might need to do so.

We are talking about war. If we are going to fight wars, we have to equip our troops with every possible thing that they might need to do so.

Will it be possible for the MOD and Foreign Office to produce a paper before the Committee stage explaining the reasons why the Government's decision has changed? That would be very helpful to hon. Members.

Will it be possible for the MOD and Foreign Office to produce a paper before the Committee stage explaining the reasons why the Government's decision has changed? That would be very helpful to hon. Members.

The interoperability rules in both the convention and the Bill deal with precisely those circumstances, although the hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the fact that people need legal certainty, whether they are commanding officers or under the command of others. Clearly a member of the British armed...

The interoperability rules in both the convention and the Bill deal with precisely those circumstances, although the hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the fact that people need legal certainty, whether they are commanding officers or under the command of others. Clearly a member of the British armed...

I apologise if—

I apologise if—

I would like to get something clear in my mind. Where we have been involved with other countries that might have obtained cluster munitions through our military forces, is there an onus on us to ask them to destroy those cluster munitions? Is there anything in the Bill that could...

I would like to get something clear in my mind. Where we have been involved with other countries that might have obtained cluster munitions through our military forces, is there an onus on us to ask them to destroy those cluster munitions? Is there anything in the Bill that could...

The hon. Gentleman has made the point as well as I could, so I need not elucidate.

The hon. Gentleman has made the point as well as I could, so I need not elucidate.

The Minister mentions moral peril. Will he explain to the House why the 36 people who are clearing the minefields in the Falklands are from Zimbabwe, as I know that his Government would very much like to have those African people working in Africa?

The Minister mentions moral peril. Will he explain to the House why the 36 people who are clearing the minefields in the Falklands are from Zimbabwe, as I know that his Government would very much like to have those African people working in Africa?

I have not personally been involved in any discussions with NATO on this, but I think the hon. Gentleman is pointing in the wrong direction as to where an agreement is needed. The first step is to try to secure universal acceptance of the convention. That would mean there is...

I have not personally been involved in any discussions with NATO on this, but I think the hon. Gentleman is pointing in the wrong direction as to where an agreement is needed. The first step is to try to secure universal acceptance of the convention. That would mean there is...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving away again. I think that our interventions are helping to tease out some of the issues. This goes to the heart of what we are trying to achieve. We are trying to prevent future generations from stepping on cluster munitions, mines, or...

I am grateful to the Minister for giving away again. I think that our interventions are helping to tease out some of the issues. This goes to the heart of what we are trying to achieve. We are trying to prevent future generations from stepping on cluster munitions, mines, or...