Labour bans cluster munitions

Under a law passed by the House of Commons last week, cluster munitions are set to become a thing of the past in the United Kingdom. In recognition of the unacceptable harm these weapons can inflict on civilians the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill will enter into force with immediate effect. In practice the United Kingdom has not used cluster munitions since May 2008, after it signed an international convention outlawing them. All stockpiles will be destroyed by the end of 2013.

Cluster munitions can be dangerous to civilians they are not supposed to harm, because they eject a multitude of tiny bomblets. The bomblets are dispersed to cause explosions immediately over a wide area. Sometimes bomblets do not detonate immediately, meaning they pose a danger to vehicles or people that come into contact with them.

Now that the United Kingdom has set the example of banning cluster bombs in its armed forces and across its territory, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is negotiating with other countries to join with us and ban their use. The Government is determined to see a universal end to the use and stockpiling of cluster munitions. France and Germany have committed to banning cluster munitions, and will hopefully be following the United Kingdom in passing laws to ban their use. The United States will hopefully sign the international convention that the United Kingdom signed in May 2008, and help to eradicate cluster munitions from the world's armed forces. The United States has already agreed to remove all of its cluster munitions from United Kingdom territory by the end of 2010.