Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the repair of the runway on Ascension Island; and which Minister of his Department has responsibility for that project.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Secretary of State for Defence is working closely with the US to ensure the Ascension Island runway is repaired. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2020.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Royal Navy assets on global maritime patrol are used to maximum effect in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through a support agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy (RN), whereby naval assets conduct fishery protection activities. The RN and MMO work closely to maximise the effectiveness of these fishery protection activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the UK.
RN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels also conduct maritime security operations at all times while at sea, this includes monitoring and reporting maritime activity to relevant UK authorities. Reporting of fishing and other maritime activity to local UK authorities in Overseas Territories and the relevant authorities of other nations is routinely undertaken whenever a RN or RFA vessel is operating in the vicinity of UK Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of naval vessels and aircraft routinely conduct monitoring and reporting of maritime activity (a) in the presence of vessels engaged in fishing and (b) otherwise when they are operating in or transiting through the Exclusive Economic Zone of British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Ministry of Defence supports the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in combatting illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing through a support agreement between the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Royal Navy (RN), whereby naval assets conduct fishery protection activities. The RN and MMO work closely to maximise the effectiveness of these fishery protection activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the UK.
RN and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels also conduct maritime security operations at all times while at sea, this includes monitoring and reporting maritime activity to relevant UK authorities. Reporting of fishing and other maritime activity to local UK authorities in Overseas Territories and the relevant authorities of other nations is routinely undertaken whenever a RN or RFA vessel is operating in the vicinity of UK Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what health and safety assessment his Department has conducted on military personnel or contractors loading or unloading equipment from his Department's vessels onto the pier head at Ascension Island.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The loading and unloading of freight from Ministry of Defence chartered vessels is conducted by the Ascension Island Government. A Health and Safety and Environmental Risk Assessment of loading/unloading equipment at the Ascension Islands pier head was undertaken by the Joint Forces Command Health and Safety lead in September 2015.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the use of depleted uranium by UK armed forces operating in Iraq and Syria.
Answered by Mark Francois - Shadow Minister (Defence)
None of the munitions supplied to UK Forces for use over Iraq contains depleted uranium; there are no UK forces operating in Syria. There are no plans to issue depleted uranium weapons to UK forces operating over Iraq.