Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason HMS Queen Elizabeth has been deployed to waters off South Korea; and what assessment he has made of the potential response from North Korea to that deployment.
Answered by James Heappey
The Integrated Review commits us to pursuing deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific in support of shared prosperity and regional stability. The Carrier Strike Group deployment is an embodiment of this commitment and therefore included a programme of activity to strengthen our bilateral defence relationships with key partners in the region, including South Korea. Our presence in the region sends a clear message to all of the UK's ability to protect its interests globally.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department policy is on the use of drone strikes outside of recognised war zones; and what support the Government provides to victims of such strikes.
Answered by James Heappey
As the Government has stated previously there is no separate policy on the use of force outside of an armed conflict. Rather it has a policy to defend the UK and its citizens against both armed attacks and imminent threats of armed attack; in extremis, lethal force could be used where there is no other effective option. Every situation would be considered on its merits and the appropriate course of action would depend on the circumstances prevailing at that time.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
What recent estimate he has made of the number of armed forces personnel who have tested positive for covid-19.
Answered by James Heappey
Up to 30 June 2020 a total of 366 Service personnel had tested positive for COVID-19.
In line with Government measures, these personnel were directed to self-isolate for the mandatory 14 days once they were confirmed as infected.
This has not affected Defence’s ability to sustain its critical outputs.