Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the anticipated deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Pacific is part of a new regional foreign policy strategy; and if so, what is that new strategy.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly important for the UK, as it is at the centre of global economic growth, and a region of increasing geostrategic significance. Across Government, plans are being developed for broader and deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. These plans will be informed by the Integrated Review.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
The Senior Deputy Speaker what is his roadmap for restoring the (1) procedures, and (2) sitting patterns, in place in the House of Lords before COVID-19.
Answered by Lord McFall of Alcluith
The Procedure and Privileges Committee has been meeting weekly and has made a series of changes to procedure to allow the House to sit first virtually and then as a hybrid House. We will continue to keep procedures under review and listen to feedback from members and staff. Advice from Public Health England has been central to all the Committee’s considerations and plans to return to physical sittings and procedures will depend on how and when that advice changes.
The sitting patterns of the House are a matter for the Usual Channels.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of GDP they spend on UK defence, excluding pension provisions.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
When the Ministry of Defence's pension expenditure, as reported in accordance with NATO's definitions of defence spending, is removed, the UK's remaining expenditure on defence spending in financial year 2017-18 equalled 1.97% of GDP using the Office for Budget Responsibility's GDP forecast.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the UK qualifies, and will continue to qualify, as a tier one military power.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Through the plans and policies set out in Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, the Government committed to maintain the UK's status as a Tier 1 military power. Since 2015 the threats have increased rapidly and become more complex. The Modernising Defence Programme will make sure that our Armed Forces have the right capabilities to meet the increasing threat picture.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK is using thermobaric vacuum weapons in Syria.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The UK has used enhanced blast munitions in Syria. The type of munition used by UK Armed Forces depends on the target to be struck. In line with International Humanitarian Law, our rigorous targeting process will always seek to minimise the effect of our military action on civilians and civilian objects.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the air strikes against Syria on 14 April, what objectives they hope to achieve in that country; and how they propose to achieve them.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The aim of the targeted airstrikes conducted by the UK on 14 April 2018 was to alleviate human suffering by degrading the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deterring the future use of chemical weapons. The UK continues to participate in the Global Coalition with the aim of defeating the scourge of Daesh. We want to see a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region. Syria's future must be for Syrians to decide. The UK is the third largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the Syria crisis and has committed £2.71 billion to date.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, what is their objective for military action against Syria.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The objective for our targeted strike on 14 April was to degrade the Syrian regime's chemical weapons programme and to deter the further use of these weapons against their own population. It was not about regime change.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the future of the Iraq Fatality Investigations.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
In 2013 the High Court ordered the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to establish a non-criminal process of "quasi-inquests" (which we have designated Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI)) in appropriate cases to comply fully with the investigative obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, which include procedural requirements (to involve the victim's family, to ensure public accountability, and to identify systemic issues) that cannot always be achieved by a criminal investigation alone. The MOD understands the strain any investigation places upon its personnel, the vast majority of whom conducted themselves professionally in the most difficult circumstances, and is committed to providing them with proper pastoral and legal support. IFI are essentially inquests, they are not criminal investigations and can only take place when a decision has been taken not to prosecute. They take place to provide the families of deceased Iraqi civilians with answers about the circumstances of their deaths.
It is important that allegations of wrongdoing are investigated to allay public concerns, if unjustified, or to expose discreditable conduct. This process remains appropriate and legally necessary.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following recent atrocities by ISIL against a number of countries, including Russia, they have reconsidered the statement by the Defence Secretary on 19 February that there is a "real and present danger" Russia could try to destabilise the Baltic states.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government's position has been stated in the recently published Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cm 9161). Russia's behaviour is hard to predict and although highly unlikely, we cannot rule out the possibility that Russia may feel tempted to act aggressively against NATO Allies. We also want to keep open the possibility of co-operation and will continue to seek to engage with Russia on global security issues, including international efforts to tackle the ISIL threat.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British military trainers and Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed to Iraq (including Kurdistan) to counter ISIL; and at what cost.
Answered by Lord Astor of Hever
As at 3 March 2015 there were 154 UK Armed Forces personnel deployed to Iraq in support of the Iraqi Government to counter ISIL.
The net additional costs of training and equipping the Iraqi and Kurdish Security Forces as well as providing UK enablers is currently being met from the £50 million Deployed Military Activity Pool (DMAP). The net costings for UK military operational activity are published in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts after the end of each financial year.