[holding answer 4 June 2007]: The following figures are produced from the most complete record of events within Multi National Division (South East) and are for the period between March 2003 and December 2005. Each record is not specifically verified and so cannot be guaranteed to be completely accurate.
The figures include incidents that involved the employment of improvised explosive devices, rockets, mortars, rocket propelled grenades, grenades, small arms and other weapons such as petrol bombs or knives, but not the throwing of stones. Number of Attacks on MNF by Province
Years/province Month Attacks on MNF 2003 Al Muthanna March 0 April 0 May 0 June 0 July 0 August 6 September 0 October 2 November 2 December 8 Basrah March 0 April 0 May 0 June 20 July 29 August 82 September 26 October 53 November 25 December 23 Dhi Qar March 0 April 0 May 0 June 1 July 4 August 7 September 3 October 2 November 3 December 1 Maysan March 0 April 0 May 0 June 5 July 7 August 12 September 7 October 12 November 7 December 8 2004 Al Muthanna January 0 February 2 March 2 April 7 May 10 June 1 July 3 August 13 September 2 October 4 November 3 December 2 Basrah January 1 February 11 March 20 April 37 May 86 June 36 July 27 August 143 September 76 October 39 November 18 December 27 Dhi Qar January 1 February 7 March 3 April 14 May 41 June 9 July 5 August 28 September 3 October 8 November 11 December 1 Maysan January 0 February 3 March 6 April 68 May 119 June 51 July 6 August 337 September 8 October 6 November 4 December 4 2005 Al Muthanna January 1 February 3 March 2 April 0 May 0 June 3 July 2 August 0 September 1 October 1 November 5 December 2 Basrah January 31 February 9 March 5 April 3 May 16 June 6 July 11 August 8 September 32 October 24 November 8 December 17 DhiQar January 4 February 1 March 3 April 4 May 1 June 4 July 2 August 2 September 3 October 3 November 3 December 0 Maysan January 4 February 3 March 7 April 9 May 9 June 22 July 13 August 23 September 8 October 10 November 20 December 7
It is not possible to break down the number of persons killed and injured in each attack as requested. The total number of UK military and civilian personnel killed and injured between March 2003 and December 2005 is provided on the MOD website at:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets/OperationsInlraqBritishCasualties.htm.
The information on the website does not include UK civilians employed or contracted by other Government Departments or by civilian contractors. This information is not held by the MOD.
The performance of all helicopters is affected by variations in air temperature, but Lynx helicopters serving in the Persian Gulf are capable of performing all their assigned tasks.
Following comments from Telic and Herrick in June 2006, alternative boots were provided and sizing advice was offered to units. In addition, a trial to select new commercially available desert boots is due to complete during 2007. This will allow a new boot to be issued to all troops deploying in the autumn and a second alternative boot to be available from early 2008—thus offering some degree of choice. The Department has also initiated a project to introduce a web-based application for the controlled supply of personal clothing to provide service personnel with the ability to order from an online catalogue, with item(s) despatched to an address of choice. This could eventually change the way that items such as boots are provided.