The Guardian reports on a novel idea being put forward by Falkland Islanders.

Although hundreds of acres of land in the Falklands are off-limits because of mines, the minefields are well marked and therefore cause few problems. In addition, the mined land is of poor quality for farming.

Yet under the Ottawa Treaty the UK is obliged to ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel mines in the Falklands by no later than 1 March 2009.

So rather than spending money clearing mines that aren't endangering lives and limbs, the Falklanders are instead asking the British government to remove mines from an equivalent land area in a country such as Angola or Cambodia, where the lethal munitions present a daily risk to life.

Simon Conway from Landmine Action explains the thinking behind the "mine clearance credit" initiative.

The plan would seem to have some merit because it addresses one of the central issues in the anti-landmine campaign.

Ridding the world of every single landmine is a laudable aim, but it's a waste of money if some of those landmines aren't causing any problems.

Better to clear 10 landmines around a well that is the only source of water for an entire Cambodian village than clear 1000 mines on a remote piece of scrub land in the Falkland Islands.