To ask Her Majesty's Government following the passage of the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill, when all cluster bombs will be removed from the American bases at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Welford and Diego Garcia. [HL3110]

I can confirm that the US has identified its cluster munitions on UK territory as exceeding its worldwide operational planning requirements. Therefore, these cluster munitions will be removed from sites in the UK in 2010 and from all UK territories by 2013, as announced on 8 December 2009 by Baroness Kinnock during the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill Second Reading in the House of Lords (Official Report, col. 1020).

To ask Her Majesty's Government in which American military bases on British soil and in British overseas territories are cluster bombs held; and what verification arrangements they have made to ensure that those weapons are removed. [HL3111]

The United States stores various weapons in the UK. The US inventory of weapons is declared annually to the Ministry of Defence who ensure that all weapons are appropriately licensed and stored. It would be inappropriate to disclose the numbers, types and locations of such weapons. Therefore, I am withholding the detailed information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and the United States.

However, I can confirm that the US has identified its cluster munitions on UK territory as exceeding its worldwide operational planning requirements. Therefore, these cluster munitions will be removed from sites in the UK in 2010 and from all UK territories by 2013, as announced on 8 December 2009 by Baroness Kinnock during the Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill Second Reading in the House of Lords (Official Report, col. 1020).