Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what requests his Department has received from other Government Departments for the use of service personnel as part of (a) the Modernising Defence Programme and (b) other programmes to improve the resilience and defence of the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) routinely works with other Government Departments to assure the resilience of the UK. The MOD holds forces, specialist capabilities and equipment ready to provide assistance to civil authorities if required.
While programmes like the Modernising Defence Programme are used to agree the range of tasks that Defence fulfils for the Government, specific requests for Service personnel are made through the separate, routine process of cross-Government operational planning.