To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many letters of condolence he sent to the next of kin of personnel who have died in service in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each year between 2001 and 2005; and how many he has sent in 2006. (105699)

Since August 2003, the Defence Secretary has written letters of condolence to the next of kin of all those who have died on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Details of the numbers of fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan are available on the MOD website:

www.mod.uk