Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the development of safe means for defusing (a) landmines and (b) unexploded munitions.

The Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP), the FCDO's main vehicle for tackling the threat posed by landmines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW), currently funds demining in eight countries. GMAP has a confirmed budget of £14.8 million for this financial year. The FCDO requires all GMAP implementing partners to be fully compliant with National and International Mine Action Standards (NMAS/IMAS) and to review regularly their Standard Operating Procedures. GMAP encourages implementing partners to utilize innovative methods to improve the effectiveness and safety of demining.