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Written Question
Russia: Ukraine
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an estimate of the number of Russian (a) main battle tanks, (b) armoured fighting vehicles, (c) fixed-wing aircrafts, (d) helicopters, (e) unmanned aerial vehicles, (f) ships, (g) artillery systems, (h) multiple-launch rocket systems and (i) other capabilities destroyed in Ukraine since 24 February 2022.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict. The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear.

We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict.


Written Question
Russia: Ukraine
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the number of personnel serving in the Russian armed forces in Ukraine who have (a) been killed in action, (b) been wounded and (c) deserted their posts since February 2022.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict. The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear.

We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict.


Written Question
Russia: Ukraine
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of mercenaries serving in Russian private military companies who have (a) been killed in action, (b) been wounded and (c) deserted their post since February 2022.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We estimate that approximately 450,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands more have already deserted since the start of the conflict. The number of personnel killed serving in Russian private military companies (PMCs) is not clear.

We also estimate that over 10,000 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 3,000 main battle tanks, 109 fixed wing aircraft, 136 helicopters, 346 unmanned aerial vehicles, 23 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,500 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed, abandoned, or captured by Ukraine since the start of the conflict.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Refugees
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 15728 on Afghanistan: Refugees, how many applicants are awaiting an eligibility decision as of 18 April 2024.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As of 23 April 2024, 2,352 applicants are awaiting an initial eligibility decision under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.

Of these, 632 are applications raised in the last 3 months and 1,720 applications are complex cases awaiting an eligibility decision. The ARAP scheme remains open, and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received over 96,000 principal applications in total.

Defence is working hard to consider all remaining applications, conducting checks and seeking additional information to ensure a decision can be made.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Refugees
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghan people are (a) in the UK and (b) awaiting an initial decision on their eligibility under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme as of 18 April 2024.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As of 23 April 2024, we have relocated over 16,300 Afghans to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP).

For statistics on the number of ARAP applicants awaiting a decision, I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to Question 22470.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Refugees
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many appeals of an initial eligibility decision under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy have been made; and how many and what proportion of these appeals were successful.

Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Published policy for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) indicates that every principal applicant to the scheme is entitled to request a review within 90 days of receipt of an initial eligibility decision. Applicants should seek a review if new or further information which supports their ARAP application has become available since the initial eligibility decision.

As of 19 April 2024, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received over 96,000 unique ARAP applications and a total of 6,268 requests for a review of an initial eligibility decision. 21 initial decisions have been overturned.


Written Question
Refugees: Afghanistan
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan (a) principals and (b) dependents are being housed in hotel accommodation under the (i) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (ii) Afghan citizens resettlement scheme.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to resettle Afghans fleeing persecution and those who served the UK.

The latest published Immigration system statistics, year ending December 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) show that (up to the end of December 2023) we have brought around 27,900 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region.

These statistics also show that:

  • We have resettled 10,520 people under all three of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) pathways;
  • We have relocated 14,423 under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP); and
  • 125 people, around half of whom are children, were living in interim accommodation (i.e. hotels/serviced accommodation) at the end of December 2023.

Afghan operational data is viewable at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Asylum: Afghanistan
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan people are awaiting an initial decision on their asylum application as of 18 April 2024.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications awaiting an initial decision by nationality are published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum applications awaiting an initial decision detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to 31 December 2023. Data as at 31 March 2024 will be published on 23 May 2024.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.


Written Question
Ukraine: Military Aid
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's press release entitled, PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, what types of (a) armoured and (b) all-terrain vehicles his Department will supply to Ukraine.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

We will provide over 400 vehicles to Ukraine, consisting of 160 protected mobility Husky vehicles; 162 armoured vehicles comprised of further AS90 155mm artillery guns and Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked); and 78 all-terrain vehicles made up of Bv-206 and Viking.

These will provide much needed additional artillery support, reconnaissance capabilities, and amphibious mobility to support development of the Ukrainian marine corps.


Written Question
Ukraine: Military Aid
Friday 26th April 2024

Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's press release entitled, PM to announce largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on visit to Poland, published on 23 April 2024, when the first deliveries of military support under the package will take place.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

This latest military aid package to Ukraine, the most comprehensive so far, covering the land, sea and air environments, will be delivered over the next few months. It will be delivered as quickly as possible, in accordance with priorities agreed with Ukrainian partners.

For operational security reasons, we generally do not comment on the progress of our deliveries, as to do so would risk both lives and the effectiveness of the aid.