Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) purpose, (b) strength and (c) budget is of the British Support Team in Ramallah.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As part of our commitment to stability in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the UK provides the Palestinian Authority with professional support in helping develop capable and responsible security institutions that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people.
Support to the Palestinian Authority Security Forces is paid for by Ministry of Defence core funds and the UK's Integrated Security Fund (ISF). The amount spent by the UK's ISF in the Financial Year 2024-25 will be published in due course in the respective ISF annual review of 2024-25.
The number of personnel is being withheld in order to protect the security of those personnel and to avoid prejudicing international relations.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK-supplied Challenger tanks being deployed by Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia are equipped with shells containing depleted uranium.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have sent thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds. For operational security reasons, we will not comment on Ukrainian usage rates for the rounds provided.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the UK last supplied Ukraine with tank shells containing depleted uranium.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have sent thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds. For operational security reasons, we will not comment on Ukrainian usage rates for the rounds provided.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, where his Department has recently published information about the British Support Team Ramallah.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has not published information about the British Support Team in Ramallah.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29341 on Ministry of Defence: Israel, which Israeli officials visited his Department on 5 February 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Brigadier General Yaval Harel, Israeli Air Force Head of Personnel Division, led an Israeli Air Force delegation of nine personnel as part of a three-day HR-focussed visit to the UK.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which officials attended meetings with Israeli Major General Oded Basyuk on 22 January 2025; and for what reason.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As part of the concerted UK effort to reduce the risk of escalation in the Middle East and to achieve a peaceful resolution in Gaza and Lebanon, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hosted counterparts from Israel on 22 January, led by Major General Basyuk. UK attendees included officials from the MOD, FCDO and Cabinet Office, and discussions included UK calls to implement all phases of the Gaza ceasefire deal in full and establish a pathway to lasting peace and security for the region.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2024 to Question 23609 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, how many components manufactured exclusively for Israel's F-35I Adir version of the F-35A fighter jet have been exported from the UK.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
None. UK suppliers have not manufactured nor exported components that are exclusively used on the Israeli variant of the F-35 aircraft.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK forces (a) took part and (b) provided support to their Israeli counterparts in the airstrikes on Yemen on Friday 10 January 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK did not take part in, or provide support to, Israeli airstrikes in Yemen on Friday 10 January 2025.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16963 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, whether any F-35 components manufactured in Britain are designed specifically for the F-35I Adir variant of the F-35 fighter jet.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
F-35 components produced in the UK are crucial to the production and support of the global F-35 fleet and are present on all three variants of F-35 aircraft. Israel uses the F-35 A variant.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, part of the US Department of Defense, manages the F-35 programme for all F-35 Partner Nations through its global industry supply chain.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) shared F-35 flight mission data files with the Israeli air force and (b) received such files from that air force since October 2023.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
No.