Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcements by the government of the United States on 18 December 2018 and 21 February about the withdrawal of United States troops from Syria and the deployment of a small United States peacekeeping force in Syria, what is their current estimate of the number of United States troops who will remain in Syria; and whether those decisions have any implications for UK deployments.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The territorial defeat of Daesh was announced by the Syrian Democratic Forces on 23 March 2019, but this does not signal the end of the Coalition or the campaign. Even without territory, Daesh will continue to pose a threat in Iraq and Syria as well as to the wider world. Like the United States, we remain committed to the Global Coalition and its objective of ensuring Daesh's enduring defeat. We are in close contact with the US and other allies regarding the next steps in the successful campaign against Daesh.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current total value of their defence contracts with the government of Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information requested centrally. However export figures to the Middle East region are published annually. These figures can be found on the Government website.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/defence-and-security-exports-for-2017
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civilian deaths and injuries resulted from the capture of Raqqa from ISIS by the United States-led coalition supported by Syrian Democratic Forces in 2017.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Information relating to the number of civilian casualties in Raqqa resulting from coalition operations is not held by the UK, and is a matter for the United States Central Command.
The RAF does everything it can to minimise the risk to human life and to civilian infrastructure from UK strikes, through our rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of the RAF crews. All RAF weapons are deployed in strict accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and rigorous Rules of Engagement. Thus all strikes we carried out in Raqqa were designed to cause the minimum amount of damage, proportionate to the task of clearing the city of the terrorist threat posed by Daesh.
We have not seen any evidence that we caused civilian casualties during the campaign in Raqqa.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civilian casualties in Syria and Iraq have resulted from the missions of the Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Inherent Resolve and the actions of the Global Coalition against Daesh.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Information relating to the number of civilian casualties in Syria and Iraq resulting from coalition operations is not held by the UK, and is a matter for the United States Central Command.
The UK was involved in one incident on 26 March 2018 in which a UK air strike targeting Daesh terrorists in eastern Syria resulted in an unintentional civilian fatality.
I refer my noble Friend to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin Williamson) in the House of Commons on 2 May 2018 (HCWS665).
We conduct detailed assessments after each UK air strike and will review any relevant information from non-Governmental organisations. We have not seen any evidence that the UK has been responsible for any other civilian deaths in Syria or Iraq as a result of RAF air strikes.
We remain committed to being transparent about any fatalities caused as a result of UK strikes.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of IS fighters who remain in (1) Syria, and (2) Iraq; and what is their assessment of the threat those fighters pose.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Daesh has lost over 99% of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria and the Coalition assesses there are currently not enough Daesh fighters remaining in Iraq and Syria to make any further significant territorial gains. However, Daesh has dispersed into a cellular structure in order to maintain some form of insurgency activity, including through extortion, planting improvised explosive devices, kidnapping and mounting terrorist attacks. As part of the Global Coalition, the UK subscribes to this assessment and aims to remove any opportunity for Daesh to pose a threat to the security of Iraq, the UK and our allies.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Prime Minister's statement on 11 July, how the additional 440 UK military personnel to be deployed to the NATO mission in Afghanistan will "bring the stability and security that the Afghan people deserve".
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The uplift of 440 personnel will join the UK-led Kabul Security Force (KSF), which supports the wider NATO Train Advise Assist mission with non-combat support for the Afghan National Defence and Security Force (ANDSF). This support enables NATO advisors in the city to undertake capacity-building and directly mentors the ANDSF on delivering security for the civilian population, which they been responsible for since 2015. The UK is already playing a critical role, alongside our NATO partners, in training the ANDSF so they have the skills to maintain stability in a challenging environment. The UK uplift will further bolster these efforts where our operational experience and expertise directly benefit the ANDSF.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering an increase in the number of British troops deployed to Afghanistan; and if so, (1) how many, (2) when, and (3) for what purpose, army personnel would be deployed to Afghanistan.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
No decisions have been taken on sending additional UK troops to Afghanistan. The UK makes an important contribution to the non-combat NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, and as a result, our contribution is kept under regular review to ensure it remains suited to the needs of the mission.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the comments by Rear Admiral Alex Burton, former Commander UK Maritime Forces, that without higher spending on defence as a percentage of GDP, the UK’s military credibility and ability to fight and win on the front line will be affected.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The commitment to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence came following a thorough examination of threats and risks, after which the Government decided on an appropriate level of funding. This budget will rise by at least 0.5% above inflation every year of this Parliament. Defence is committed to ensuring the British Armed Forces can continue to make their crucial contribution to Britain's status as a global power and to British security and prosperity. The Modernising Defence Programme aims to modernise Defence, to deliver better military capability and value for money. This will involve reviewing the capabilities that we require to address the threats that we are facing, both now and in the future.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British troops are deployed in Poland as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group led by the United States; what is their assessment of how successful those troops have been in deterring Russian belligerence; and whether there are any plans to increase the number of British troops deployed.
Answered by Earl Howe - Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
There are approximately 150 British troops deployed to Poland in support of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). The precise number fluctuates due to routine troop rotations and activity such as exercises. UK troops have integrated well with Allied forces and we are confident that the deployment is achieving its aims as an important part of NATO's overall deterrence posture. There are no plans to increase the number of British troops deployed in Poland.