Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK Armed Forces Personnel have been deployed in Singapore in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Heappey
Number of UK Armed Forces Service personnel deployed in Singapore since 2010:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
0 | ~ | 0 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ~ | 10 | 0 | ~ | ~ | ~ |
The UK also has military personnel stationed in Singapore in the British High Commission as part of its Defence Section and the British Defence Staff Southeast Asia, as well as part of the British Defence Singapore Support Unit. Full details are in the table below.
Number of UK Regulars stationed in Singapore as at 1 January since 2010:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
10 | 10 | 10 | ~ | ~ | ~ | ~ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | ~ | 10 |
Deployed personnel are defined here as military personnel who are deployed on operations. Navy personnel who have been deployed on a ship are not included in deployment figures for countries even if the operation that they are deployed on includes duties in the country or countries mentioned in the above figures. Deployment data are derived from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) `Move and Track` system, which records all personnel who enter a deployment theatre for over 24hrs. Figures of 5 or fewer are represented by ‘~’.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with what countries the carrier strike group has had (a) engagements and (b) military exercises to date; and what those engagements and military exercises were.
Answered by James Heappey
The table below sets out the countries and/or overseas territories that the UK Carrier Strike Group has interacted with during the 2021 deployment. This also includes activity undertaken by our Integrated Partners, the Netherlands and United States.
Country/ Overseas Territory | Engagement | Military Exercise |
Australia | N/A | Passing Exercise (PASSEX), air interaction, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. (Five Powers Defence Arrangements Exercise hosted by Malaysia with participants from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.) Maritime Partnership Exercise (with US and Japan). Press Release |
Bahrain | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. Press Release | N/A |
Bangladesh | Port Visit to Chattogram. Press Release | PASSEX with the Bangladeshi Navy, training with Bangladesh Special Forces. Press Release |
British Indian Ocean Territory | Port Visit to Diego Garcia. | N/A |
Brunei | Port Visit to Bandar Seri Begawan. | N/A |
Cambodia | Virtual Defence Engagement. | N/A |
Canada | N/A | Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean) South China Sea navigation in company. |
Cyprus | Port Visit to Limassol and Larnaca. | N/A |
Djibouti | Port Visit to Djibouti and support to Allied Appreciation Fly Past. Press Release | N/A |
Egypt | Port Visit to Alexandria, Defence Engagement. | N/A |
France | N/A | Exercises Atlantic Trident (North Atlantic) and Gallic Strike (Mediterranean). Press Release |
Georgia | Port Visit to Batumi. | At sea PASSEX with the Georgian Navy. |
Gibraltar | Port Visit and hosted reception at sea. | N/A |
Greece | Port Visit to Piraeus and Souda. | N/A |
Guam | Port visit to Guam. | N/A |
India | Port Visit to Goa and Mumbai. Defence Engagement | Maritime Participation Exercise in the Indian Ocean. Press Release Exercise Konkan Shakti. Press Release |
Indonesia | Port visit to Jakarta and Virtual Defence Engagement. | At sea PASSEX with the Indonesian Navy. |
Iraq | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Israel | Port Visit to Haifa. | Exercise Falcon Strike and Exercise Tri-Lightning (both in the Mediterranean). |
Italy | Port Visit to Augusta, Messina and Taranto. Defence Engagement, including a trilateral meeting between the UK, Italy and Turkey which was hosted by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Co Host – North Atlantic Council Defence Engagement. | Exercise Falcon Strike, transit in western Mediterranean. Press Release Cross Deck of F35 between ITS CAVOUR and HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. Press Release |
Japan | Port visits to Sasebo, Yokosuka, Funakoshi. Reception and capability demonstration. | Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean), quad carrier exercise (with two carriers from the USA, one from Japan and HMS Queen Elizabeth), South China Sea navigation in company. Maritime Partnership Exercise (with US and Australia). Passing Exercise in Indian Ocean. Press Release Press Release |
Jordan | Port Visit to Aqaba and participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | 16 Air Assault Brigade Joint Theatre Entry Exercise. Press Release |
Kenya | Port Visit to Mombasa. Defence Engagement supported by the Minister for the Armed Forces. | Exercise with Kenyan Armed Forces. Press Release |
Kuwait | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Malaysia | N/A | PASSEX, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. |
Malta | Port Visit to Valletta. | N/A |
Montenegro | Port visit to Bar, Reception and Capability Demonstration. Defence Engagement, including an event led by Minister of State (Lords). Press Release Press Release | N/A |
Netherlands | Integrated Partner. | Integrated Partner. |
New Zealand | Not Applicable. | South China Sea Transit in company, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. |
Oman | Port Visit to Duqm and Muscat which included Defence Engagement led by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | Exercise KHANJAR OMAN and Maritime exercises with the Omani military. Press Release |
Pakistan | Port Visit to Karachi. | Bilateral training exercise with the Pakistani Navy. |
Portugal | Port Visit to Lisbon. | N/A |
Qatar | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | N/A |
Republic of Korea | Defence Engagement - at sea reception and capability demonstration. | Search and rescue exercise. Press Release |
Romania | Port Visit to Constanta. | N/A |
Saudi Arabia | Port Visit to Jeddah and Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | At sea PASSEX with the Royal Saudi Navy. |
Singapore | Port visit to Sembawang. Reception and capability demonstration. | PASSEX including some limited air exercising, participation in Exercise BERSAMA GOLD. Press Release Press Release |
Spain | Port Visit to Alicante, Cartagena, Palma, Barcelona, La Coruna, and Rota. | F-35B Participation in Tactical Leadership programme (TLP). |
Sri Lanka | Port Visit to Colombo. | Search and Rescue Exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy. |
Thailand | Virtual Defence Engagement. | Co-ordinated maritime manoeuvres. Press Release |
Turkey | Port Visit to Istanbul, with Defence Engagement, including a trilateral meeting between the UK, Italy and Turkey which was hosted by the Secretary of State for Defence. Press Release Press Release | N/A |
United Arab Emirates | Participation in the CDS-led Dragon Group. | Air support to Advanced Training and Leadership Course (ATLC). |
Ukraine | Port Visit to Odessa, with Defence Engagement led by the Minister for Defence Procurement. Press Release | At sea PASSEX with the Ukrainian Navy. |
United States of America | Integrated Partner. | Further to being an Integrated Partner, the Carrier Strike Group interacted with additional US assets in dual, tri and quad carrier exercises. Press Release Press Release |
Vietnam | Port Visit to Da Nang and virtual Defence Engagement. | At sea PASSEX with the Vietnamese Navy. |
NATO* | At-sea NATO Ambassadorial visit, hosted by the Minister for Defence Procurement, and capability demonstrations. Press Release | Exercise Steadfast Defender (North Atlantic), Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 - Operation Sea Guardian (Mediterranean). Press Release Press Release |
*Whilst not a country, assets from the UK Carrier Strike Group also participated in NATO-led military exercises and engagements.
Asked by: Lord Tunnicliffe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government with what countries to date the carrier strike group has had (1) engagements, or (2) military exercises; and what were these engagements and military exercises.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The table below sets out the countries and/or overseas territories that the UK Carrier Strike Group has interacted with during this deployment.
Country / Overseas Territory | Activity |
Australia | Passage Exercise , air interaction, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD[1] |
Bangladesh | Port visit to Chittogram |
British Indian Ocean Territory | Port visit to Diego Garcia |
Brunei | Port visit to Bandar Seri Begawan |
Cambodia | Virtual defence engagement |
Canada | Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean) South China Sea navigation in company |
Cyprus | Port visit to Limassol and Larnaca |
Djibouti | Port visit to Djibouti |
Egypt | Port visit to Alexandria |
France | Exercises Atlantic Trident (North Atlantic) and Gallic Strike (Mediterranean) Press Release |
Georgia | Port visit to Batumi |
Gibraltar | Hosted reception at sea |
Greece | Port visits to Piraeus and Souda. |
Guam | Port visits to Guam |
India | Maritime Participation Exercise in the Indian Ocean Press Release |
Indonesia | Port visit to Jakarta |
Israel | Exercise Falcon Strike and Exercise Tri-Lightning (both in the Mediterranean). Port visit to Haifa |
Italy | Exercise Falcon Strike, transit in western Mediterranean, Port visits to Augusta, Messina and Taranto Press Release |
Japan | Port visits to Sasebo, Yokosuka, Funakoshi, Exercise PACIFIC CROWN (Pacific Ocean), quad carrier exercise (with two carriers from the USA, one from Japan and HMS Queen Elizabeth), Reception and capability demonstration, South China Sea navigation in company Press Release |
Malaysia | Passage Exercise, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD |
Montenegro | Port visit to Bar, Reception and Capability Demonstration, Press Release |
New Zealand | South China Sea Transit in company, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD |
Oman | Port visit to Duqm |
Republic of Korea | Search and rescue exercise, at sea reception and capability demonstration Press Release |
Saudi Arabia | Port visit to Jeddah. Passage Exercise |
Singapore | Passage Exercise including some limited air exercising. Port visit to Sembawang. Reception and capability demonstration, Exercise BERSAMA GOLD Press Release |
Spain | Port visits to Alicante and Cartagena |
Thailand | Co-ordinated maritime manoeuvres Press Release |
Turkey | Port visit Istanbul Press Release |
Ukraine | Port visit to Odessa Press Release |
United States | Dual, tri and quad carrier exercises. Exercise Atlantic Trident (North Atlantic), Exercise Gallic Strike (Mediterranean), Exercise Falcon Strike, Exercise Tri-Lightning Press Release Press Release |
Vietnam | Port visit to Da Nang and Passage Exercise |
NATO* | Exercise Steadfast Defender (North Atlantic), Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 - Operation Sea Guardian (Mediterranean), At-sea reception and capability demonstration Press Release Press Release |
*Whilst not a country, assets from the UK Carrier Strike Group also participated in NATO-led military exercises and engagements.
[1] Five Powers Defence Arrangements Exercise hosted by Malaysia with participants from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Type 45 destroyers, (b) Type 23 frigates, (c) Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessels and (d) Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships have been maintained for scheduled or unscheduled periods in (i) the Gulf (Gulf Cooperation Council countries), (ii) South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Australia) and (iii) South Africa in the last five years; and what the costs were of each overhaul maintenance period.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The information will take time to collate and I will write to the hon. Member when it is available.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what improvements have been completed to naval facilities in Singapore in the last two years.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
It has been assumed that "naval facilities" refer to both the wharf and oil fuel depot.
In 2017-18:
In 2018-19
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the global network of operational and logistic support bases for the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force for the purpose of delivering international security.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
In answering this question, we have defined 'the global network of operational and logistic support bases' to mean any overseas Ministry of Defence owned or leased bases.
Due to the Joint nature of military operations it is difficult to allocate these bases to a single Service in any meaningful way. The list is as follows:
British Forces Germany
British Forces Cyprus
British Forces Gibraltar
British Forces South Atlantic Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Ascension Island
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Defence Singapore Support Unit, Singapore
Joint Logistics Support Base, Duqm, Oman.
Naval Support Facility, Bahrain
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for which foreign states the UK's armed forces provide training; and which services provide training for each those states.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The table below sets out the foreign states that were provided training by each Service of the UK military in financial year 2017-18.
Army | Royal Navy | Royal Air Force | Joint Forces Command |
Afghanistan | Albania | Albania | Afghanistan |
Albania | Algeria | Australia | Albania |
Algeria | Angola | Bahrain | Algeria |
Armenia | Anguilla | Belgium | Argentina |
Australia | Antigua and Barbuda | Bosnia | Armenia |
Austria | Australia | Brazil | Australia |
Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | Brunei | Azerbaijan |
Bahrain | Bahamas, The | Canada | Bahamas |
Bangladesh | Bahrain | China | Bahrain |
Barbados | Bangladesh | Czech Republic | Bangladesh |
Belarus | Barbados | Denmark | Barbados |
Belgium | Belgium | Dominican Republic | Belarus |
Belize | Belize | Egypt | Belgium |
Bermuda | Bosnia | Estonia | Belize |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Brazil | France | Bermuda |
Botswana | Bulgaria | Germany | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Brazil | Canada | Hong Kong | Botswana |
Brunei | Chile | India | Brazil |
Cameroon | Croatia | Iraq | Brunei |
Canada | Denmark | Italy | Burma |
Chile | Djibouti | Jamaica | Cameroon |
China | Dominican Republic | Jordan | Canada |
Colombia | Egypt | Kenya | Chile |
Czech Republic | Estonia | Kosovo | China |
Denmark | Fiji | Kuwait | Colombia |
Dominican Republic | France | Latvia | Cyprus |
Egypt | Georgia | Lithuania | Czech Republic |
Eritrea | Germany | Macedonia | Denmark |
Estonia | Ghana | Malta | East Timor |
Ethiopia | Greece | Malawi | Egypt |
Finland | Guyana | Netherlands | Estonia |
France | India | Nigeria | Fiji |
Gambia | Indonesia | Norway | Finland |
Georgia | Iraq | New Zealand | France |
Germany | Ireland | Oman | Gambia |
Ghana | Ivory Coast | Pakistan | Georgia |
Greece | Jamaica | Philippines | Germany |
Guyana | Jordan | Qatar | Ghana |
Iceland | Kenya | Saudi Arabia | Greece |
India | Kuwait | Serbia | Guatemala |
Indonesia | Lebanon | Seychelles | Guyana |
Iraq | Macedonia | Singapore | Iceland |
Ireland | Malaysia | Sweden | India |
Israel | Malta | Trinidad and Tobago | Indonesia |
Italy | Mexico | Tunisia | Iraq |
Ivory Coast | Montenegro | United Arab Emirates | Ireland |
Jamaica | Netherlands | Ukraine | Israel |
Japan | New Zealand | United States | Italy |
Jordan | Nigeria | Zambia | Jamaica |
Kazakhstan | Norway |
| Japan |
Kenya | Oman |
| Jordan |
Kosovo | Pakistan |
| Kazakhstan |
Kuwait | Philippines |
| Kenya |
Kyrgyzstan | Portugal |
| Kosovo |
Latvia | Qatar |
| Kuwait |
Lebanon | Romania |
| Kyrgyzstan |
Lithuania | Saudi Arabia |
| Lebanon |
Macedonia | Senegal |
| Macedonia |
Malawi | Seychelles |
| Malaysia |
Malaysia | Sierra Leone |
| Mali |
Malta | Singapore |
| Malta |
Mexico | Slovenia |
| Mexico |
Montenegro | Somalia (Somaliland) |
| Moldova |
Morocco | Sri Lanka |
| Montenegro |
Nepal | Tanzania |
| Nepal |
Netherlands | Thailand |
| Netherlands |
New Zealand | Tonga |
| New Zealand |
Nigeria | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Niger |
Norway | Uganda |
| Nigeria |
Oman | Ukraine |
| Norway |
Pakistan | United Arab Emirates |
| Oman |
Palestinian Autonomous Areas | United States |
| Pakistan |
Papua New Guinea | Vietnam |
| Palestinian Autonomous Areas |
Paraguay |
|
| Papua New Guinea |
Philippines |
|
| Philippines |
Portugal |
|
| Qatar |
Qatar |
|
| Rwanda |
Romania |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
Rwanda |
|
| Senegal |
Saudi Arabia |
|
| Serbia |
Serbia |
|
| Seychelles |
Sierra Leone |
|
| Sierra Leone |
Singapore |
|
| Singapore |
Slovakia |
| Somalia | |
Slovenia | South Africa | ||
Somalia |
|
| South Korea |
South Africa |
|
| Spain |
South Korea |
|
| Sri Lanka |
Spain |
|
| Sudan |
Sri Lanka |
|
| Sweden |
Sudan |
|
| Switzerland |
Sweden |
|
| Thailand |
Switzerland |
|
| Tonga |
Tajikistan |
|
| Trinidad and Tobago |
Tanzania |
|
| Tunisia |
Thailand |
| Turkey | |
Trinidad and Tobago |
| Uganda | |
Tunisia |
| Ukraine | |
Turkey |
| United Arab Emirates | |
Uganda |
| United States | |
Ukraine |
| Uzbekistan | |
United Arab Emirates |
| Vietnam | |
United States |
| Zambia | |
Uruguay |
|
| |
Uzbekistan |
|
| |
Vietnam |
| ||
Zambia |
| ||
Zimbabwe |
|
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of threat from piracy in (a) current and (b) prospective shipping lanes of economic interest to the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Piracy remains a serious problem and the Government keeps threat levels under regular review. I chaired a Ministerial Working Group on Maritime Security on 3 November 2016, at which the range of threats to British maritime interests, including piracy was reviewed, and the work being done to protect our interests both at home and overseas.
The Government's assessment is that piracy is on the decline in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore Strait. It remains suppressed but not eliminated in the West Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, where there remains a threat emanating from Somalia. In the Gulf of Guinea, we are concerned by an apparent increase in the number of attacks and a trend towards kidnapping crew for ransom.
The UK continues to play a leading role in efforts to uphold global maritime security. We provide the Commander and Operational Headquarters for the EU's Operation Atalanta whose mission includes deterring and disrupting piracy in the Southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and a large part of the Indian Ocean. We also help to safeguard shipping in those areas through the Royal Navy's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). In June 2016 the Royal Navy and the French Marine Nationale established the 'Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade - Gulf of Guinea' reporting mechanism which enables information on maritime incidents to be shared with shipping in West Africa. We also support capacity building programmes in West and East Africa, and in South-East Asia.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what facilities are currently available to the Royal Navy in the Far East.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
When deploying to the Far East Royal Naval vessels would normally have access to the port facility of the nation that they visit during the deployment.
In addition, the United Kingdom operates a jetty and fuel depot at Sembawang in Singapore as part of our commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) members and (b) reserve members of the armed forces are providing training to the (i) armed forces and (ii) security forces of other countries; and in which countries that training is being provided.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Ministry of Defence has permanent training teams based overseas in Czech Republic, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa. 57 military personnel are currently serving in these teams.
The teams deliver advice, capacity-building and training directly to the armed and security forces of the countries in which they are based, and of others on a regional basis.
470 personnel are in Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support Mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces. Over 100 personnel are currently deployed on other enduring overseas tasks, including the EU Training Mission in Mali, the international efforts in Somalia and Iraq, and security sector assistance to the Palestinian Authority.
In addition there are some 200 personnel in Loan Service teams in seven countries: Brunei, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. These Loan Service personnel are embedded in a wide variety of training, educational and staff posts in the host nations' armed forces.
Data is not held centrally on which posts are filled by reservists. Exchange posts with NATO allies and others have been excluded.
A substantial amount of training is also provided by short-term training teams (STTTs) sent from the UK. An STTT may comprise a single instructor for a few days or up to 40 or 50 personnel for several weeks. STTTs are often called forward by the permanent overseas teams but are also arranged by defence attaches as part of our bilateral defence relationships. In 2014 over 1,000 military personnel deployed in such teams. Royal Navy vessels also undertake training tasks in the course of their deployments.
Countries or territories in which UK Armed Forces have provided training to either security or armed forces personnel since January 2014 are:
Algeria, Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burma, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Island (New Zealand), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Hungary, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Nieu (island near New Zealand), Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Yemen and Zimbabwe.