Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2016 to Question 25312, whether he has been consulted about proposals for a US drone operation centre at RAF Lakenheath; and whether he has received a Host Nation Notification from the US in respect of RAF Lakenheath in the last year.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
No. The Ministry of Defence received a Host Nation Notification from the US in respect of RAF Lakenheath on 7 January 2015, relating to US F-35 basing.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with the US administration on the siting of a US drone operation centre at (a) RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk and (b) other UK locations.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The UK and US have routine discussions on all aspects of US visiting forces in the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions (a) RAF Reapers, (b) RAF Tornados and (c) other RAF aircraft have come into radar contact with Russian military aircraft inside Syria since 30 September 2015.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
We do not routinely collect information on radar contacts. It is inevitable when operating in the same airspace as other nations that RAF aircraft will come into radar contact with those nations. This is one of the ways in which the RAF, as part of the US-led coalition, ensures safe-separation of aircraft in Syrian airspace and enables the UK to continue to fly missions to help degrade and destroy Daesh.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the likely financial benefit to the UK from sales of Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles to other countries.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Watchkeeper is being considered by other nations alongside other capabilities to fulfil their own defence requirements. The details of these negotiations are commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles purchased from Thales have been handed over to the British Army.
Answered by Philip Dunne
As at 15 December 2015, 37 Watchkeeper Unmanned Air Vehicles have been delivered by Thales and accepted by the Ministry of Defence. Of these, 10 are currently held by the Army to meet its current flying training programme and readiness requirements. The remainder are either being used for flight trials at West Wales Airport, or being stored and maintained until required by the Army.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12325, whether encouraging UK military exports to that country form part of the Defence Attaché's duties in each case.
Answered by Julian Brazier
Yes, Defence Attachés are to support and promote UK Defence Exports.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries UK defence attachés are posted.
Answered by Julian Brazier
There are resident Defence Attachés in the following countries:
Afghanistan - Kabul |
Algeria - Algiers |
Argentina - Buenos Aires |
Australia - Canberra |
Austria - Vienna |
Bahrain - Manama |
Estonia - Tallinn |
Bangladesh - Dhaka |
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Sarajevo |
Brazil - Brasilia |
Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan |
Burma - Rangoon |
Canada - Ottawa |
Chile - Santiago |
China - Beijing |
Colombia - Bogota |
Croatia - Zagreb |
Cyprus - Nicosia |
Czech Republic - Prague |
Denmark - Copenhagen |
Egypt - Cairo |
Ethiopia - Addis Ababa |
France - Paris |
Georgia - Tbilisi |
Germany - Berlin |
Ghana - Accra |
Greece - Athens |
India - New Delhi |
Indonesia - Jakarta |
Iraq - Baghdad |
Ireland - Dublin |
Israel - Tel Aviv |
Italy - Rome |
Jamaica - Kingston |
Japan - Tokyo |
Jordan - Amman |
Kazakhstan - Astana |
Kenya - Nairobi |
Korea - Seoul |
Kuwait - Kuwait City |
Lebanon - Beirut |
Libya - Tripoli |
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Skopje |
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur |
Mexico - Mexico City |
Morocco - Rabat |
Nepal - Kathmandu |
Netherlands - The Hague |
New Zealand - Wellington |
Nigeria - Abuja |
Norway - Oslo |
Oman - Muscat |
Pakistan - Islamabad |
Poland - Warsaw |
Qatar - Doha |
Romania - Bucharest |
Russia - Moscow |
Saudi Arabia - Riyadh |
Serbia - Belgrade |
Sierra Leone - Freetown |
Singapore - Singapore City |
Somalia - Mogadishu |
South Africa - Pretoria |
South Sudan - Juba |
Spain - Madrid |
Sudan - Khartoum |
Sweden - Stockholm |
Thailand - Bangkok |
Turkey - Ankara |
Uganda - Kampala |
Ukraine - Kyiv |
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi |
United States of America - UK Mission to UN |
United States of America - Washington |
Uzbekistan - Tashkent |
Vietnam - Hanoi |
Yemen - Sana'a |
Zimbabwe - Harare |
There is Non-Resident Accreditation for a further 82 countries.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many units of housing in the UK for military personnel are presently unoccupied in each local authority area.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The number of Service Family Accommodation properties unoccupied in each area is shown below.
Properties can be unoccupied for a number of reasons. These include:
A margin of unoccupied properties is retained, in the short term, to ensure they are available when Service personnel apply for accommodation.
A number of properties, which could otherwise be disposed of, are being retained pending the outcome of discussions on the future Defence requirement.
Properties may show as being unoccupied during a gap between allocation to, and occupation by, a Service family.
Where properties are leased from Annington Homes Ltd, not owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and when the MOD no longer requires those properties the lease is terminated and the properties are handed back to Annington Homes Ltd. Some properties will be awaiting completion of that process.
A number of unoccupied properties are affected by dilapidations and await repair or disposal.
Local Authority | Unoccupied Service Family Accommodation |
ABERDEEN CITY | 3 |
ABERDEENSHIRE | 2 |
ANGLESEY, ISLE OF | 25 |
ANGUS | 20 |
ANTRIM AND NEWTOWNABBEY | 137 |
ARDS AND NORTH DOWN | 178 |
ARGYLL AND BUTE | 235 |
ASHFIELD | 25 |
ASHFORD | 26 |
AYLESBURY VALE | 56 |
BABERGH | 48 |
BARNET | 28 |
BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET | 1 |
BIRMINGHAM | 13 |
BLAENAU GWENT | 5 |
BRACKNELL FOREST | 57 |
BRAINTREE | 5 |
BRECKLAND | 90 |
BRIGHTON AND HOVE | 2 |
BRISTOL, CITY OF | 3 |
BROADLAND | 4 |
BROMLEY | 21 |
BROXTOWE | 12 |
CAMBRIDGE | 1 |
CAMDEN | 16 |
CANTERBURY | 181 |
CARDIFF | 14 |
CARLISLE | 17 |
CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE | 194 |
CHARNWOOD | 13 |
CHERWELL | 68 |
CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER | 50 |
CHICHESTER | 35 |
CITY OF EDINBURGH | 152 |
COLCHESTER | 124 |
CORNWALL | 61 |
COTSWOLD | 30 |
COUNTY OF HEREFORDSHIRE | 15 |
CROYDON | 3 |
DARLINGTON | 16 |
DOVER | 117 |
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY | 3 |
DUNDEE CITY | 2 |
EAST DEVON | 9 |
EAST DORSET | 14 |
EAST HAMPSHIRE | 303 |
EAST LINDSEY | 16 |
EAST RENFREWSHIRE | 3 |
EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE | 34 |
EILEAN SIAR | 1 |
EXETER | 12 |
FAREHAM | 25 |
FIFE | 258 |
FOREST OF DEAN | 52 |
FYLDE | 74 |
GEDLING | 10 |
GLASGOW CITY | 6 |
GLOUCESTER | 32 |
GOSPORT | 122 |
GREENWICH | 38 |
GUILDFORD | 91 |
GWYNEDD | 4 |
HAMBLETON | 115 |
HARROGATE | 196 |
HARROW | 30 |
HART | 68 |
HAVANT | 2 |
HERTSMERE | 43 |
HIGHLAND | 59 |
HILLINGDON | 113 |
HOUNSLOW | 25 |
HUNTINGDONSHIRE | 260 |
KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA | 1 |
KING'S LYNN AND WEST NORFOLK | 108 |
KINGSTON UPON THAMES | 24 |
LICHFIELD | 13 |
LINCOLN | 1 |
LISBURN AND CASTLEREAGH | 184 |
MAIDSTONE | 19 |
MEDWAY | 134 |
MELTON | 16 |
MERTON | 5 |
MID AND EAST ANTRIM | 325 |
MID SUFFOLK | 69 |
MIDLOTHIAN | 30 |
MOLE VALLEY | 8 |
MORAY | 100 |
NEW FOREST | 18 |
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE | 2 |
NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN | 199 |
NORTH AYRSHIRE | 11 |
NORTH DEVON | 57 |
NORTH DORSET | 67 |
NORTH KESTEVEN | 179 |
NORTH LANARKSHIRE | 3 |
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE | 3 |
NORTH SOMERSET | 2 |
NORTHUMBERLAND | 61 |
NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH | 7 |
OADBY AND WIGSTON | 2 |
ORKNEY ISLANDS | 1 |
PEMBROKESHIRE | 48 |
PERTH AND KINROSS | 2 |
PETERBOROUGH | 142 |
PLYMOUTH | 97 |
POOLE | 23 |
PORTSMOUTH | 70 |
POWYS | 75 |
PRESTON | 2 |
PURBECK | 39 |
RENFREWSHIRE | 11 |
RICHMOND UPON THAMES | 7 |
RICHMONDSHIRE | 72 |
RUGBY | 21 |
RUNNYMEDE | 8 |
RUSHMOOR | 135 |
RUTLAND | 113 |
SCARBOROUGH | 5 |
SEVENOAKS | 7 |
SHEFFIELD | 2 |
SHEPWAY | 90 |
SHROPSHIRE | 129 |
SOMERSET | 19 |
SOUTH AYRSHIRE | 7 |
SOUTH CAMBRIDGESHIRE | 136 |
SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE | 29 |
SOUTH HAMS | 17 |
SOUTH KESTEVEN | 15 |
SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE | 108 |
SOUTH SOMERSET | 57 |
SPELTHORNE | 20 |
ST. EDMUNDSBURY | 61 |
STAFFORD | 71 |
STIRLING | 1 |
STRATFORD-ON-AVON | 29 |
SUFFOLK COASTAL | 53 |
SURREY HEATH | 80 |
SWINDON | 25 |
TAUNTON DEANE | 11 |
TEIGNBRIDGE | 1 |
TELFORD AND WREKIN | 54 |
TEST VALLEY | 63 |
TEWKESBURY | 32 |
THANET | 1 |
THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN | 66 |
THREE RIVERS | 19 |
UTTLESFORD | 20 |
VALE OF WHITE HORSE | 184 |
WANDSWORTH | 13 |
WEST BERKSHIRE | 50 |
WEST DEVON | 3 |
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE | 4 |
WEST LINDSEY | 16 |
WEST OXFORDSHIRE | 76 |
WESTMINSTER | 14 |
WILTSHIRE | 1117 |
WINCHESTER | 61 |
WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD | 70 |
WOKING | 7 |
WOKINGHAM | 141 |
WREXHAM | 1 |
WYCOMBE | 145 |
YORK | 37 |
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what ways the public can submit comments on the (a) National Security Strategy and (b) Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Answered by Michael Fallon
We have in place a broad programme of engagement with a range of stakeholders, including Parliament, academics, industry, think tanks, non-governmental organisations and members of the public. Members of the public can contribute thoughts and comments on both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review via a dedicated page on the gov.uk website at the following link.
www.gov.uk/government/news/strategic-defence-and-security-review-public-engagement
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many precision guided missiles have been exported from the UK to Saudi Arabia since the start of the recent conflict in Yemen.
Answered by Michael Fallon
I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another state. | |||||||