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Written Question
Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Ships: Procurement
Monday 29th 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 it remains his Department's policy to build a second Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance vessel in the UK.

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

The Second Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Vessel is still in the concept phase. A programme and procurement strategy will be established once this has been completed.


Written Question
Ukraine: Military Aid
Monday 29th April 2024

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

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the (a) lethal and (b) non lethal military aid donated to Ukraine since February 2022.

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

The UK's support to Ukraine has been and will remain steadfast and we have just announced our largest ever military aid package, which will be delivered over the next few months.

Since February 2022, we have delivered the following key capabilities. For operational security reasons we are unable to publish the full extent of the information requested. The announcement made by the Prime Minister on Tuesday 23 April is additional to the list below.

· 1,800 air defence missiles

· Over 4,000 drones including:

· Long range attack drones

· Strategic Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS)

· Storm Shadow cruise missiles

· Squadron of 14 Challenger 2 Tanks with thousands of rounds of ammunition, plus armoured recovery and repair vehicles.

· 50 AS90 self-propelled 155mm guns hundreds of armoured and protected vehicles.

· 400,000 rounds of artillery ammunition

· 6 Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers

· Thousands of surface-to-air missiles including HMV Starstreak, LMM Martlet, ASRAAM, AMRAAM and others.

· More than 10,000 anti-tank weapons (including over 5,000 Next Generation Light Anti-Tank [NLAW] missiles, Javelin, Brimstone and others)

· Nearly 6 million rounds of small arms ammunition, 2,600 anti-structure munitions and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosive

· More than a hundred anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery.

· Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)

· 6 stormer air defence vehicles, using HVM Starstreak missiles.

· Counter-battery radar systems

· Communications equipment

· Electronic warfare equipment

· Medical equipment

· 3 Sea King helicopters

· 140 logisitics vehicles

· 1,000 VALLON metal detectors and 100 bomb de-arming kits

· 300 Armoured and protected mobility vehicles

· Cold weather equipment

· Body armour and helmets

· Electricity Generators


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
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 (a) principals and (b) dependents are being housed in military accommodation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy as of 18 April 2024.

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

As of 22 April 2024, our records show around 4,602 Afghans (principal applicants and family members) eligible for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme (ARAP) are being housed in military accommodation.

This includes 2,452 Afghans in settled Service Family Accommodation, and 2,150 Afghans in temporary Reception Sites and transitional Service Family Accommodation prior to onwards movement into settled accommodation.


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.