Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when RAF Brize Norton was informed of the impact of Hurricane Irma and of the need for relief flights.

On 6 September 2017 RAF Brize Norton was notified of the potential requirement to provide humanitarian relief flights and on 7 September the station was tasked to prepare those flights.

Having identified and prioritised the relief stores required and established which runways remained open following Hurricane Irma's impact, the first aircraft were loaded and dispatched from RAF Brize Norton on 8 September, reaching the Caribbean that night.

The Ministry of Defence is providing significant support to the relief efforts in the Caribbean following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) MOUNTS BAY was pre-positioned in the region and loaded with aid precisely so we could respond to hurricane damage. So far 60 tonnes of much needed humanitarian aid has been distributed across the region by air. HMS OCEAN arrived in the British Virgin Islands on Friday 22 September with a further 60 tonnes of aid and is helping to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and engineering tasks.

UK military personnel will continue to provide immediate support after Hurricane Maria has passed. Defence activity will remain under constant review and we will continue to work with local authorities to establish what is required.