Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government is giving the Kenyan Government any military assistance to help defeat terrorism in areas of that country.
Answered by James Heappey
Kenya is our strategic partner in East Africa and at the heart of our plans for the region. Kenya is a partner which shares the same concerns and aspirations we do regarding regional stability and security. We are committed to cooperation on tackling shared threats such as terrorism and violent extremism.
The UK provides support to the Kenyan Government in work to counter terrorism, this is through both counter-terrorism capacity building for its forces and through liaison officers in its regional hub of the FCDO/CONTEST Unit Counter Terrorism and Extremist Network in Nairobi.
We actively contribute to action against al Shabaab, the Al-Qaida linked terrorist group that poses a direct threat to UK interests and regional stability. We work jointly with Kenya to make it increasingly difficult for al Shabaab to operate.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of Lockheed Martin on matters relating to national security.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Ministry of Defence publishes in arrears details of Ministers' meetings on a quarterly basis on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-with-external-organisations-in-the-ministry-of-defence
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to provide support to those members of the British armed forces who have been referred to the Government's terror prevention programme; and what steps he is taking in response to that matter.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not tolerate extremism of any kind and it is not compatible with the values and standards of our Armed Forces. Where such behaviour is believed to be occurring, early action is taken to confront and challenge this, including ensuring that referrals are made to the appropriate authorities.
Service personnel referred for suspected extremism are supported through the process, which can result in dismissal, with appropriate advice, guidance, and counselling as required and requested. In addition, the usual welfare mechanisms and pastoral support remain open to the individual through their local Chain of Command and via organisations such as SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity. Membership of proscribed organisations and extremist behaviour is not tolerated and those who have been convicted of offences are unlikely to continue to serve.
The MOD adheres to the Home Office Prevent programme. Further information on Prevent can be found on the Government's counter-terrorism website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance. Internally, Defence uses the Channel process to deal with Service personnel who have shown signs of extremism. Information on the Channel process can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/channel-and-prevent-multi-agency-panel-pmap-guidance
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that Afghans who have worked for the British Armed Forces will not be forced to leave the UK under the relocation scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government is strongly committed to fulfilling its responsibilities to current and former locally employed staff in Afghanistan. Ministry of Defence officials continue to work closely with the Home Office on all aspects of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy, which offers current and former Afghan staff the opportunity to build safe and secure futures for themselves and their families in the UK.
The relocation scheme contains no provisions within it that force former locally employed staff who have worked for the British Armed Forces to leave the UK, and the Government has already supported more than 1,380 former Afghan staff and their families in creating new lives in the UK.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to award commendations to the members of the armed forces involved in seizing a cache of weapons hidden by a suspected Islamic State cell in Mali in May 2021.
Answered by James Heappey
I am immensely proud of the contribution of all UK Armed Forces personnel to defence operations in Mali. The UK contributes to Operation BARKHANE providing vital Chinook heavy lift logistical support, and MINUSMA (the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali), where the UK reconnaissance group operates at significant range, enhancing the mission's intelligence picture and providing reassurance to hitherto unreached communities faced with significant terrorist threats.
Recently, UK troops, in a first for MINUSMA, seized a cache of weapons from a suspected terrorist cell, demonstrating the high capability of the UK force and the positive impact they have in improving the safety of the Malian population. I commend the individuals involved and the wider task force, who have all been instrumental in establishing the UK as a key partner of the MINUSMA force.
Noting the good work of all UK Service personnel who support MINUSMA, Armed Forces personnel are awarded the UN Medal on having completed 90 days accumulated service.
As is standard process, all Service personnel are considered for commendations and awards under the UK honours and awards systems.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when UK armed forces are planned to leave Afghanistan.
Answered by James Heappey
NATO partners, including the UK, confirmed on 14 April that an orderly and coordinated withdrawal of NATO forces will begin by May. As agreed by NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers, the withdrawal of Resolute Support Mission forces from Afghanistan will be complete within a few months. The UK's Operation TORAL forms a part of the Resolute Support Mission and as such we will draw down this operation in line with our NATO Allies and Partners. No decisions have been made on any future presence.
Our support and training of Afghan institutions, including the National Directorate of Security, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army has strengthened the ability of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) to counter security threats. That and other capacity-building work are aimed at increasing the self-reliance of Afghan forces in the fight against terrorism and other threats. Despite significant challenges, Afghan forces have led security in Afghanistan since 2014.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of China's three new naval vessels; and what steps he is taking to support the UK's interests in the Pacific Ocean.
Answered by James Heappey
We continue to watch closely the rapid growth in Chinese naval capabilities and their impact on the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
China is set to have as many as five aircraft carriers by 2030, as well as four light helicopter carriers and is supported by growing fleet of high-class cruiser destroyers, which are the world's most capable surface ships. This allows China to conduct operations from increased range and project influence further into the Pacific and beyond, potentially restricting freedom of movement for UK and allied vessels. This has been enhanced by China's construction of fortified military bases on contested islands and enormous investment in anti-ship missiles.
The Indo-Pacific is at the centre of global economic growth, and a region of increasing geostrategic importance; it is the fastest-growing economic region in the world, a crucial transit point for global trade and home to a number of UK allies and trading partners.
The UK has a range of enduring security interests in the region and many important bilateral defence relationships. The Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment is a sign of the UK's commitment to upholding international peace and security to ensure the prosperity of the UK and of our partners in the region. The deployment demonstrates the UK's state of the art capabilities, able to operate worldwide; no nation should feel antagonised.
Our approach to the Indo Pacific region will of course take account of regional dynamics including China's role and our partners and allies' investment in the region. But our wide-ranging relationships with partners and allies across this region also stand in their own right as a broad, positive, long term set of priorities for UK investment and engagement.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people were recruited to the (a) Army (b) RAF and (c) Royal Navy in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Heappey
The requested information can be found in tables 4, 5a, and 5b of the Excel spreadsheet in the published Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2020
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to conduct military exercises with the Swedish Government.
Answered by James Heappey
As a NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner and fellow member of both the Northern Group and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), Sweden is a valued defence partner with whom we share a mutual interest in upholding the security of the Euro-Atlantic Area. Our bilateral defence relationship is strong and growing, underpinned by a Statement of Intent on enhancing our defence co-operation signed in September 2014. As part of this cooperation, UK and Swedish forces regularly train together, including in NATO, JEF and national exercises.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many accidental deaths there have been in the (a) Royal Air Force, (b) Royal Navy and (c) British Army in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Heappey
The Ministry of Defence takes the health and wellbeing of our personnel extremely seriously.
The establishment of the Defence Safety Authority in 2015 was followed by a review and strengthening of Head Office’s governance of Health, Safety, and Environmental Protection (HS&EP). The Defence Secretary has set out his commitment to HS&EP in a Policy Statement requiring the Department to minimise work-related fatalities.
The table below provides a breakdown of deaths due to accidents in the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force in each of the last five years.
Year | Deaths due to accidents by Service | ||
Royal Navy | Army | Royal Air Force | |
2019 | 1 | 20 | 7 |
2018 | 3 | 16 | 3 |
2017 | 2 | 19 | 2 |
2016 | 4 | 17 | 4 |
2015 | 5 | 14 | 3 |
Notes:
3. Royal Navy includes the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
4. This information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-deaths-in-service-statistics-index
The information provided includes all deaths that occurred both on and off duty among regular personnel. It does not identify those deaths that were work related that may or may not have been the result of health and safety failures.