Oral Answers to Questions

Theresa Villiers Excerpts

Monday 8th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[James Heappey]

Absolutely. Any pilot training pipeline has a foundational level of flying training that we are able to deliver. Similarly, given that English is the international language of aviation, we are able to do language training as well. Very obviously, the more aircraft-specific training has to be delivered by F-16 nations, but we are proudly part of that F-16 coalition.

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

12. What steps he is taking to support Israel in preventing terrorist attacks.

[The Secretary of State for Defence (Grant Shapps)]

We have provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to help anticipate any further attacks and to assist with hostage recovery.

[Theresa Villiers]

Some 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes in northern Israel because of the fear that if Hezbollah adopt the same tactics as Hamas, the carnage could be even worse than on 7 October. What are the UK Government doing to try to prevent more weapons from getting to Hezbollah, to de-escalate the situation and to see, at the very least, Hezbollah retreat further north from the border?

[Grant Shapps]

I thank my right hon. Friend. We are working alongside our P3 partners to de-escalate tensions on the blue line and reduce that risk of escalation. We are continuing our efforts to support the resilience of the Lebanese armed forces, who we have helped elsewhere, with the eventual aim of getting them to the Lebanese southern border and ensuring implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701.