Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 18 November (HL10238), what estimate they have made of the total cost of the infrastructure work required on Ascension Island.

A 2017 report identified a wide array infrastructure on Ascension Island which required repair. Eleven infrastructure projects have been identified as priorities and are estimated cost approximately £39 million to fix. In order to address the most urgent repairs, £5 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund was allocated in 2018 for a capital investment programme over three years. Additionally, the runway repair project, which is now underway is jointly funded with the United States at a total cost of $170 million. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with the Ascension Island Government to ensure that there is a clear prioritised plan for infrastructure repair works along with a detailed asset management plan to ensure the island's critical infrastructure is properly maintained.