Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the public statement by Commander Will King on 2 September that HMS Montrose has been subjected to 115 separate confrontations with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards; what assessment they have made of the nature and range of those confrontations; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Baroness Goldie - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Assessments have been conducted by in-theatre and UK based personnel, which concluded that the vast majority of the interactions in recent months between HMS MONTROSE and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps were safe and professional. Where there were active attempts to interfere with passage of British vessels, HMS MONTROSE responded within extant military direction.
The UK has deployed additional warships to the Gulf to ensure a consistent presence to reassure the merchant vessel community, and deter any malign behaviour. The UK has also joined the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), under which we will work with partner nations to ensure the free flow of commerce through the region.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions have been held with the United States authorities about the repatriation of the remains of United States and British servicemen killed during the Korean War; what is their estimate of the number of UK servicemen whose remains are still in North Korea; and what proportion this is of the total number of UK servicemen killed in the conflict.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
On 12 June 2018 President Trump and Kim Jong Un signed the Sentosa agreement, which included a commitment to recovering Prisoners of War - Missing in Action remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified. The UNC Military Armistice Commission have informed the UNC Sending States that a repatriation event for the transfer of remains will shortly be announced. Some of the remains may be from Sending States other than the US. UK and US officials are in discussion about the handling of remains that are demonstrated to be other than US personnel.
From 27 June 1950 to 27 July 1954, 1,129 UK Armed Forces died as a result of the Korean War[1]. An exercise is currently under way to cross reference records in the UK and the British Embassy in Seoul of those personnel with no known grave, to confirm the number of personnel whose remains might possibly be in North Korea. I will write to the noble Lord when this work is complete.
[1] For deaths prior to 1984, Defence Statistics (Health) uses the AFM database and specifically the 'Theatre' field to identify all those personnel who died as a result of operations in a medal earning theatre
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk from attack by the Taliban on Afghan interpreters who have worked for the UK or its allies; how low they estimate such risk to be in Kabul in particular; and what evidence they use to make such assessments.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
There have been a number of recent attacks in Kabul by the Taleban or other terrorist groups causing tragically large scale loss of life. These have generally been targeted at Afghan security personnel and buildings. We are aware of no attacks in Kabul targeted against our former local staff leading to loss of life or significant injury. All claims of intimidation by former staff are investigated on an individual basis by an expert UK team based in Kabul; this includes a police officer appropriately trained and experienced in criminal investigation. The UK is the only nation with such a team and have now supported over 450 former staff. Where there is a threat that is linked to their former UK employment, we will take steps to address this threat, either through security advice, relocation in country or, if neither of these will address the threat, by allowing the individual and their immediate family to apply for relocation to the UK. The threat level for both Kabul and Afghanistan as a whole is kept under review by the FCO and MOD experts.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking with allies and relevant international bodies to improve the protection of translators and interpreters in conflict and post-conflict zones.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Her Majesty's Government consistently uses its influence within multilateral bodies, including the UN Security Council, and bilaterally with foreign governments and other actors to urge all state and non-state actors to increase protection for their civilians in, and after, conflict situations. Interpreters and translators are, like all civilians, entitled to protection during armed conflict under international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to keep a register of personnel they employ as interpreters in conflict or post-conflict zones and to record the details of any deaths of or injuries sustained by such personnel.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Ministry of Defence no longer directly employs local staff in high risk operational areas.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what role they expect (1) HMS Argyll, and (2) HMS Sutherland, to play in supporting the United States military presence on and around the Korean Peninsula.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The deployments of HMS SUTHERLAND and HMS ARGYLL to the Asia Pacific will support a range of defence engagement and prosperity objectives and will demonstrate the United Kingdom's commitment to peace and security throughout the wider region. Both deployments will include joint training and exercises with a number of allies and close partners. These may include exercises with both the United States Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy if and when the ships are in Korean waters.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 30 November (HL3469), whether, in their recent dialogue with the government of Saudi Arabia, that government has offered to destroy Royal Saudi Air Force stocks of UK-made BL-755 weaponry; and if so, when that offer was made.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Saudi Arabia has made a commitment that it will no longer use BL-755 cluster munitions. It would be inappropriate to comment on the detail of private discussions between Governments. But the UK continues to encourage Saudi Arabia, as well as other non-parties, to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following Saudi Arabia's commitment not to use cluster munitions in Yemen, whether they intend to re-offer to remove and destroy Royal Saudi Air Force stocks of UK-made BL-755 weaponry.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The UK welcomes Saudi Arabia's commitment in December 2016 that it would no longer use BL-755 cluster munitions. The UK takes its obligations under the Cluster Munitions Convention very seriously and continues to fulfil them. In this respect, we have continued to encourage Saudi Arabia to accede to the Convention, on which private dialogue continues.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to suspend their programme of military training with the Burmese army in the light of its attacks on civilians in Rakhine State.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
In light of the ongoing violence in Burma's Rakhine State and the growing humanitarian crisis it has caused, the UK Ministry of Defence has decided to suspend all training and educational courses provided to the Burmese military with immediate effect.