Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are deployed in each Overseas Territory.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has UK military personnel across various UK Overseas Territories. The approximate* breakdown of military personnel permanently based in UK Overseas Territories is as follows:
Ascension Island | Falkland Islands | Gibraltar | British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) | The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Turks and Caicos Islands |
20 | 830 | 140** | 40 | 2,370 | 1 |
In addition to this, across all UK Overseas Territories, there are also personnel deployed on operations.
While there may be other categories of personnel in other UK Overseas Territories, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
* Personnel change over and transition on a regular basis. With leave and other commitments (such as training), specific numbers may fluctuate.
** This figure excludes the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG), around 270 personnel whose home base is Gibraltar.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department is responsible for defence policy on the Overseas Territories.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
I am the lead Defence Minister for Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK police were deployed in each Overseas Territory in November 2023.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
UK Policing is operationally independent and continues to support the development of policing capabilities across the Overseas Territories.
In November 2024, authorisations were provided for the deployment of three police officers to Bermuda, two to the Falkland Islands, one to Anguilla, one to Gibraltar and seven to the Sovereign Base Areas.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister in her Department is responsible for relations with the Overseas Territories.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Lord Hanson of Flint is the Home Office minister responsible for relations with Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK police are deployed in each Overseas Territory.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
UK Policing is operationally independent and continues to support the development of policing capabilities across the Overseas Territories.
In November 2024, authorisations were provided for the deployment of three police officers to Bermuda, two to the Falkland Islands, one to Anguilla, one to Gibraltar and seven to the Sovereign Base Areas.