Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when RAF Brize Norton was informed of the impact of Hurricane Irma and of the need for relief flights.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
On 6 September 2017 RAF Brize Norton was notified of the potential requirement to provide humanitarian relief flights and on 7 September the station was tasked to prepare those flights.
Having identified and prioritised the relief stores required and established which runways remained open following Hurricane Irma's impact, the first aircraft were loaded and dispatched from RAF Brize Norton on 8 September, reaching the Caribbean that night.
The Ministry of Defence is providing significant support to the relief efforts in the Caribbean following the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma. Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) MOUNTS BAY was pre-positioned in the region and loaded with aid precisely so we could respond to hurricane damage. So far 60 tonnes of much needed humanitarian aid has been distributed across the region by air. HMS OCEAN arrived in the British Virgin Islands on Friday 22 September with a further 60 tonnes of aid and is helping to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and engineering tasks.
UK military personnel will continue to provide immediate support after Hurricane Maria has passed. Defence activity will remain under constant review and we will continue to work with local authorities to establish what is required.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the complement of disaster relief equipment carried by Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mount Bay; and in particular, how many (1) helicopters, (2) tractors, (3) bulldozers, (4) other vehicles, and (5) items of heavy lifting equipment are being carried.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) MOUNTS BAY is currently carrying the following equipment while conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Caribbean:
1 Wildcat helicopter
1 Mexflote raft
1 Combat support boat
2 Pacific 24 rigid inflatable boats
2 Inflatable raiding crafts
2 Medium wheeled tractors
2 Support Vehicles (15 tonne)
1 Rough terrain forklift
1 Light wheeled tractor
2 Quad bikes with trailers
2 Pinzgauer soft top all-terrain vehicles
1 Self loading dump truck
2 Bandvagn 206D flatbeds
1 Support Vehicle (six tonne)
1 Land Rover & trailer
1 King Trailer
This amounts to one helicopter, four tractors, zero bulldozers, 15 other vehicles and three items of heavy lifting equipment.
HMS OCEAN is also due to arrive in the region by 23 September with three Wildcat, four Merlin and two Chinook helicopters and 60 tonnes of Department for International Development supplies onboard to assist with the longer-term recovery effort. HMS OCEAN will be deployed according to need once Hurricane Maria has passed.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many HM Forces personnel are serving in Afghanistan; and whether any further deployments are scheduled.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The UK contributes around 500 personnel to the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, which includes the uplift announced at the NATO Warsaw summit in July 2016. The UK has a long term commitment to Afghanistan and continues to review its contribution to ensure it is optimally resourced.