Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reasons the government of Nepal gave for declining to use RAF Chinook helicopters deployed to Nepal for disaster relief.

The UK offered Chinook helicopters to help deliver urgent humanitarian aid to the most remote areas of Nepal, in response to a UN request on 25 April for help, issued on behalf of the Nepalese government.

In deciding not to accept the offer, the Government of Nepal cited technical reasons and referred to the existing helicopter capacity that was already in the country.

It was ultimately a decision for them to take on what equipment should be used during the relief effort.