Giving fresh figures in the House of Lords, Defence Procurement Minister Lord William Bach said: "Iraqi military personnel who fall into the hands of UK forces are prisoners of war and will be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions."

He added that paramilitary fighters would be treated "under the terms of humanitarian law," and that Britain would have a veto on any move by the United States to transfer any former British-held POWs out of Iraq.

Bach said POWs were being given sufficient food, water and medical facilities, the minister said.

"We are processing the prisoners as fast as is possible, and the Red Crescent are content with the action we are taking in this regard," he claimed.

Bach added that Iraq was still holding some 600 Kuwaiti prisoners from the 1991 Gulf War, whose whereabouts were "completely unknown." He said: "It will be one of the matters we are looking into very much."

Bach said the latest tally of prisoners was up from a total of 4,100 given last Thursday.

He also disclosed that Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's statement to the House of Commons that day, which gave a total of 9,000 prisoners held by both the United States and Britain, was "not the right figure."

"There was a confusion about it. I apologise for having given that figure last Thursday. But of course the figures do change every day," Bach said.

SPACE.WIRE