Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK armed forces personnel are embedded in the US Gerald Ford carrier strike group in the Caribbean.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Personnel from His Majesty's Armed Forces routinely serve on long‑standing exchange programmes with NATO Allies and key international partners. These arrangements strengthen interoperability, enhance mutual understanding, and support our shared security aims.
For reasons of operational and personnel security, the Ministry of Defence does not comment on the specific roles, locations, or units in which UK personnel may be embedded.
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 provided (a) training and (b) assistance to Guyana to protect its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence offers a range of training to global partners. Our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) course emphasises peacetime operations both ashore and afloat in support of activities in the EEZ. Personnel from Guyana’s Defence Force have attended this course.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK armed forces personnel are present in Guyana.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
None.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what process his Department has for (a) storing and (b) otherwise retaining surveillance footage taken by Royal Air Force planes over Gaza since December 2023.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence has policies and protocols which provide direction for the storage and retention of operational intelligence. I am unable to comment further due to operational security.
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) lost, (b) deleted and (c) otherwise destroyed any surveillance footage taken by Royal Air Force planes over Gaza since December 2023.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 57027, and reiterate that I cannot comment on detailed intelligence matters nor disclose details of Ministry of Defence internal policies for the storage and retention of operational intelligence.
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 25 November 2024 to Question 15836 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, how many F-35 components were sent from RAF Marham to Israel between January 2022 and October 2023; and when each component was sent.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I am unable to release this information due to operational security.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2024 to Question 15836 on Israel: F-35 Aircraft, when F-35 components were sent from RAF Marham to Israel between October 2023 and August 2024.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I am unable to release this information due to operational security.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 52090 tabled by the honourable Member for Alloa and Grangemouth on 13 May 2025.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I am unable to release this information due to operational security.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 52089 tabled by the honourable Member for Alloa and Grangemouth on 13 May 2025.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I am unable to release this information due to operational security.
Asked by: Brian Leishman (Labour - Alloa and Grangemouth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Royal Air Force stopped airdropping aid to Gaza; whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on this issue; if he will make it his policy to restart airdropping aid to Gaza.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool. On 13 May 2025, along with European partners, the UK convened a UN Security Council meeting to call for Israel to lift its block on aid into Gaza. We will continue to make our views clear, both in public and in private to the Israeli government and work with our partners to achieve an enduring and sustainable end to the hostilities.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office leads on coordinating the Government’s humanitarian response to deliver lifesaving assistance to the civilian population in Gaza. The Ministry of Defence has provided military support when requested to facilitate the delivery of this assistance, including participating in airdropping aid as part of the Jordanian international coalition in 2024. Currently land routes are the only viable option for delivering aid at scale into Gaza. We remain ready to support as required.