: To ask Her Majesty’s
Government whether landmines laid in the Falkland Islands by the
Argentinean forces in 1982 have been removed.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office () (Con)
My Lords, under the anti-personnel mine ban convention, the UK is
obliged to clear the Falkland Islands as its only mined
territory. After the conflict in 1982, the UK cleared all known
British-laid mines. The remaining mines, spread across 122
minefields, were laid by Argentina. Since 2009, the demining
programme has released over 21 million square metres of land and
destroyed over 9,700 anti-personnel mines. The current phase of
the programme will complete the mine clearance.
(Con)
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply. Is it
not the case that there was a new international convention on
these matters quite recently—certainly since 1982—which was much
encouraged by the support of the late Diana, Princess of Wales,
and more recently by His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex?
Absolutely, and I am sure I speak for everyone in your Lordships’
House in paying tribute to the late Princess Diana for her
incredible leadership on this, drawing attention to the issue of
minefields around the world. Of course, we also pay tribute to
His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex on his recent trip to
Angola to further highlight and continue the good work of his
mother.
(CB)
My Lords, how helpful have the Argentinians been in the clearing
process? Shifting sands were always the difficulty, requiring
maps and Argentinian personnel to help identify where the
minefields were in the first place to allow a proper clearance
programme.
A joint report was done back in 2007, to which the Argentinians
contributed, but we are mindful that the sovereignty of the
Falkland Islands is that of the United Kingdom. We have taken the
lead and sole responsibility for all continued mine clearance.
(Lab)
My Lords, I understand from information I got from people doing
mine clearance some years ago that the difficulty in the
Falklands is the nature of the terrain, or the earth. Some of the
unexploded ordnance has sunk so deep into the earth that it is
very difficult to clear, which is one reason we have not been
able to achieve 100% clearance. I want to use my question to
widen the discussion a little. There are so many areas in the
world where unexploded ordnance is causing serious risk to
ordinary people long after the conflict has ceased. Can the
Minister say a little about what we are doing to support MAG and
other organisations that are doing this valuable work
internationally?
First, on the earlier point raised by the noble Lord, and made
earlier, I agree with him: the terrain has proved challenging.
However, we are confident that, with the Ottawa convention and
the timeline set for 2024, we will complete all the demining in
the Falkland Islands. On the broader issue, we are very much
committed. His Royal Highness’s recent visit reflects our
continued commitment and we have allocated a further £100 million
to this primary objective of clearing mines around the world.
(LD)
I think the Minister was referring to the 1997 Ottawa landmine
treaty, which aims to free the world of landmines by 2025. The
Minister just mentioned Angola; it is likely to be 2045 before it
is clear of landmines. At the end of its civil war in 2002, there
were as many landmines in Angola as people. What are we doing
internationally to build on what Prince Harry has done in
southern Africa—particularly in Zimbabwe and Angola—in that
regard? Also, are we ensuring that we are doing all we can to
discourage the use of landmines in the conflict in Syria right
now, which will cause problems for many years to come?
The noble Baroness is quite right. That is why I mentioned the
Ottawa convention. We are abiding by the extension granted by the
convention as part of fulfilling our mandate in the Falkland
Islands. As for Angola and, indeed, other places, as I have
indicated, we are absolutely committed. In 2017, the UK tripled
its funding for mine action around the world. As I said in
response to the previous question, we have now committed £100
million over three years to tackle the humanitarian and
development impact of landmines. This is a scourge that impacts
on every conflict zone. I have seen it directly through various
visits. The noble Baroness mentioned Syria; of course, that
remains a primary concern but we need stability and security in
Syria before we can embark on any demining that may be required
in that part of the world.
(Con)
I was responsible for clearing landmines in the Falkland Islands
and I subsequently became chair of the Halo Trust. The reason we
stopped clearing landmines in the Falklands is that certainly
more than two people—I am not sure exactly how many—lost limbs
clearing Argentinian landmines that were not mapped. There is new
technology, but can it clear all these mines without danger to
British personnel?
I pay tribute to my noble friend and all those involved in this
important work. Demining areas that were previously conflict
zones is a key priority and we pay tribute to those who put
themselves at risk for this purpose. My noble friend raises an
important point about using technology. I assure him that we
deploy the best technology available in the work we do
internationally. I understand that, subsequent to what happened
in previous years, clearing landmines in the Falkland Islands has
not resulted in any significant injury to any person.
(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister will be aware that these mines were laid
in a vain attempt by the Argentinians to prevent the recapture of
the islands. The recapture involved a task force of over 60
warships and 73 merchant ships. Twelve of those frigates and
destroyers were either sunk or very badly damaged. Today, we have
19 frigates and destroyers. Does the Minister not agree that it
is all very well ordering frigates to replace frigates one for
one, but we need to increase the number of ships in our Navy to
make the seas of the world safer and look after our interests
worldwide?
I am sure many are full of admiration for the noble Lord and the
work he did in Her Majesty’s Navy. I agree with him on the
important role that the Navy played during the Falklands crisis.
I am sure my colleagues at the Ministry of Defence have noted
carefully his suggestion about our current capacity. It is
important that we look towards all our military across the piece,
whether it is our Air Force, our Army or our Navy, to ensure they
are fit for purpose for 2019 and beyond.
(Con)
Does my noble friend agree that there is a great danger of
conflating this issue with the very valuable work done by Diana,
Princess of Wales, who was mindful that the landmines she was
trying to clear were in areas of high population? This does not
apply to the Falklands, where all the anti-personnel mines are
fenced off. There is a minimal population there and people avoid
going near the area where the mines are.
My noble friend is correct that in the Falkland Islands the areas
containing mines are clearly and carefully designated, but
important work continues to ensure that we can rid the islands of
mines altogether. I emphasise the point that the work done by
Princess Diana, currently being led by His Royal Highness,
provides focus on this important issue, to make it a priority for
all countries that can assist in this area.
