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Written Question
Hawk Aircraft: Training
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to resolve the engine fault on the RAF Hawk T2 advanced jet trainers; how many Hawk T2 jets are currently unavailable for fast-jet pilot training; what delays to fast-jet pilot training have been caused by that engine fault; and what is the additional cost of training pilots overseas as a result.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Defence Equipment & Support is closely engaged with industry to increase the number of serviceable engines through the delivery of the required new component parts and engine upgrade work to address the current limitations.

As at 11 March 2024, 16 Hawk T2 aircraft were currently unavailable for fast jet pilot training.

There have been minimal delays to Fast Jet pilot training as a result of the Hawk T2 engine issue. Despite the seriousness of the engineering issue, the implementation of mitigation measures such as the international outsourcing of Fast Jet training have reduced the impact to a minimal level. Those trainees on course at the time of the engine issue being discovered were delayed by up to 2-months maximum; no other trainees in the Fast Jet pipeline were adversely impacted or delayed. There has been no impact to the number of ab-initio Fast Jet pilots delivered to the Front Line as a result of the Hawk T2 engine issue and the forecast Fast Jet training requirement for the Front Line will continue to be met.

The cost per trainee of contracts with NATO allies are already a matter of public record. The Department is unable to disclose the full value of all contracts, as doing so would prejudice international relations and compromise our friendship with partners and allies.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Finance
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the budget for the International Relations Group at Defence Equipment and Support is in the (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26 financial year.

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

The figures presented in this table represent the projected annual operating expenditure budget for the International Relations Group (IRG).

Financial Year

Total spend (million)

2023-24

£4.35

2024-25

£4.43

It should be noted that the annual budget for 2024-25 is indicative and subject to change. Annual operating expenditure for 2025-26 has not been forecast.

It should also be noted that, due to the Operating Model work currently underway in DE&S, the current team structure has changed significantly and as of 18 March 2024 has been renamed International & Industry Cooperation (IIC). We anticipate that the way that budgets are apportioned will also change.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Expenditure
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual budget was for the International Relations Group in each year since 2019.

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

The International Relations Group is a specific team in Defence Equipment and Support. The spend per year for the team is as follows:

Financial Year

Total spend (£million)

2019-20

2.855

2020-21

2.747

2021-22

3.306

2022-23

3.454


Written Question
Mozambique: Islamic State
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterpart in Mozambique, (b) representatives of the Southern African Development Community and (c) his counterparts in states neighbouring Mozambique on potential support in tackling security threats posed by IS-Mozambique.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

In May 2023, the Minister of State for Development and Africa visited Mozambique and met President Nyusi. They discussed UK support for the Government of Mozambique's response to the ongoing IS-Mozambique insurgency in Cabo Delgado, including through new programmes aimed at building local resilience to violent extremism, security and human rights training that has been delivered to over 200 Armed Forces personnel to date. During the same visit to the region, the Minister of State for Development and Africa met South Africa's Deputy Minister for International Relations & Cooperation to discuss a range of topics including peace and post conflict development in Mozambique. Our UK Special Representative to SADC also regularly engages with SADC missions on peace keeping in the region.


Written Question
Air Force: Training
Thursday 14th March 2024

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

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost is of sending pilots abroad to train.

Answered by James Heappey

The cost per trainee of contracts with NATO allies are already a matter of public record. The Department is unable to disclose the full value of all contracts, as doing so would prejudice international relations and compromise our friendship with Qatar.


Written Question
Ethiopia: Somalia
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) relations between Ethiopia and Somalia, following the signing of the Ethiopia–Somaliland memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 1 January; and (2) the impact of that MoU on regional stability and efforts to combat Al-Shabaab.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Following the signing of the MoU, the UK expressed concern about escalating tensions in the Horn of Africa. Alongside international partners, we continue to encourage dialogue between Ethiopia and Somalia. We urge all parties in the region to avoid escalation and any action that threatens stability. Tackling al-Shabaab remains one of the UK's top international counter-terrorism priorities. We continue to work with Somali and international partners to strengthen the response to the terrorist threat posed by al-Shabaab in Somalia and the region.


Written Question
Espionage: Convictions
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of espionage offences in the last five years.

Answered by Gareth Bacon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Espionage offences dealt with under the National Security Act 2023 received royal ascent in July 2023, and are therefore not yet available in the source data.

Convictions relating to espionage offences prior to the act (under the Official Secrets Acts 1911, 1920 and 1989), up to June 2023, will have been prosecuted under a range of offences, many of which are available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2023.

They can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and using the HO Offence Code filter to select the below offences:

  • 06629 - Unauthorised use of uniforms; falsification of reports, forgery, personation, and false documents. Interfering with officers of the police or members of His Majesty’s forces. Duty of giving information as to commission of offences.
  • 06630 - Committing an act prejudicial to the safety or the interest of the State
  • 06631 - Knowingly harbouring spy
  • 06632 - Serving or former member of Security or intelligence Services disclosing information relating to security or intelligence. Person notified as subject to security or intelligence provisions unlawfully disclosing secret
  • 06633 - Former or current Crown Servant or Government Contractor making damaging disclosure relating to security or intelligence
  • 06634 - Former or current Crown Servant or Government Contractor making damaging disclosure relating to defence matter
  • 06635 - Former or current Crown Servant or Government Contractor making damaging disclosure of confidential matter from Foreign State or relating to international relations
  • 06636 - Former or current Crown Servant or Government Contractor disclosing information resulting in commission of offence, facilitating escape from custody, facilitating act prejudicial to safekeeping of person in custody, impeding prevention or detection of offence or apprehension or prosecution of suspected offender etc.
  • 06637 - Making damaging disclosure of protected information
  • 06689 - Making damaging disclosure of information entrusted to other State or organisation.
  • 06695 - Disclosing information which can be used to gain access to protected information

In addition to these, HO code 195/99 contains offences under s8 Official Secrets Act, which are not able to be disaggregated through published products. Bespoke analysis concluded that there was 1 person prosecuted for offences under this legislation between years ending June 2019 and 2023. There may be other prosecutions related to espionage that are prosecuted under other legislation but it is not possible to identify those from the data.


Written Question
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: Education
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to schools on teaching school children about the (a) history, (b) purpose and (c) value of (i) the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings and (ii) this year's meeting in Samoa.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The National Curriculum for citizenship, which is compulsory at key stages 3 and 4, covers the Commonwealth in the context of teaching about local, regional and international governance and the United Kingdom’s relations with the rest of Europe, the United Nations and the wider world including the Commonwealth. The National Curriculum does not mandate specific content about the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings, but schools are free to include content about Heads of Government meetings in this context, including this year’s meeting in Samoa.

There are also a number of opportunities in the National Curriculum for history for pupils to be taught about the history of the Commonwealth. For example, pupils are taught about British history from 1745 to 1901, including the development of its Empire, and they are taught the end of Empire and Britain’s place in the world since 1945. The latter could include teaching about the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, including the first meeting in 1971.

The National Curriculum for citizenship can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study and the National Curriculum for history can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study.


Written Question
Serbia: Elections
Friday 12th January 2024

Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made for the implications of his Department's policies of reported irregularities in the Serbian parliamentary elections held on 17 December 2023.

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

The UK contributed a strong contingent to the combined international mission observing last month's Serbian Parliamentary elections, alongside support for local election observation. The UK shares concerns over serious election irregularities. Serbia should investigate these swiftly and effectively, including addressing allegations of election-related violence, and implement the recommendations of the International Election Observation Mission. We hope for swift central government formation to make early progress, including on normalisation of relations with Kosovo.


Written Question
Asylum: Rwanda
Tuesday 2nd January 2024

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, in developing their policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, they made an assessment of the unemployment rate in that country, and if so, what it is.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Our analysis of the country situation drew on a wide range of evidence gathered through both desk-based research and country visits. We collected information on economic indicators including the opportunities and support available to refugees seeking employment, together with information on Rwanda’s health system, including its accessibility to refugees.

The information was carefully selected in accordance with internationally established country-of-origin information research methods and includes content from a variety of reliable sources such as media outlets, governmental sources and local, national and international organisations.

I cannot comment on other international relations with Rwanda.