Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect equipment gifted to the Lebanese armed forces between 2012 and 2015 on that country's ability to secure its border with Syria against (a) the spread of the Syrian conflict, (b) the movement of Hezbollah fighters supporting the Assad Regime and (c) the movement of Daesh fighters.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The UK is committed to the security of Lebanon, including helping the Lebanese state secure its borders. From 2012-2015 we used over £30 million to help the Lebanese army raise and equip three Land Border Regiments (LBRs) deployed along the border with Syria. The project provides the LBRs with border towers, non-lethal equipment, mentoring and training. This has had a direct effect in mitigating contagion from the war in Syria. The border regiments successfully repel frequent attacks by Daesh on Lebanese territory. 75% of the Syria-Lebanon border will be under state control by March 2016, and the rest will be further secured with the establishment of a fourth LBR in financial year 2016-17.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West have been helped by Veterans UK since 2010.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
I have taken help by Veterans UK to mean assistance provided by the Veterans UK Welfare Service. The Veterans Welfare Service provides Veterans and their families' with free and confidential advice on a wide range of issues.
Regrettably, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
However, the total number of visits to Veterans from the Veterans UK Welfare Service since 01 January 2010 to 20 January 2016 in the Pendle, Lancashire and North West district, are set out below.
District | *Number of Visits |
Pendle | 100 |
Lancashire | 1,870 |
North West(1) | 7,240 |
(1) This figure incorporates the Pendle and Lancashire districts.
*In line with departmental policy, values have been rounded to the nearest 5.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much Veterans UK has spent on providing support to veterans in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West since 2010.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Your question concerning how much Veterans UK has spent on providing support to Veterans has been interpreted to mean assistance provided by the Veterans UK Welfare Service.
This information is not held in the format requested.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the establishment of the HMS Juffair naval base on the UK's ability to react to humanitarian crises in the Gulf.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The improvement to the Support Facility at Mina Salman Port in Bahrain will provide a permanent expansion of the Ministry of Defence's presence in the Gulf. The enhanced facilities will provide better support for ships on operations including supporting humanitarian crises.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers of the Lancashire Regiment were deployed in tackling recent flooding; how many reserve soldiers of that Regiment were involved; how long that deployment lasted; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those soldiers' contribution to the wider recovery and rescue operation.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS) were the UK Standby Battalion throughout the period of the recent flooding. They were deployed as follows:
13-15 November 2015 - Three Liaison Officers (planners) were deployed: two in Penrith, Cumbria and one in Hutton, Lancashire. A company of around 100 troops were deployed constructing flood barriers at Braystones, Cumbria and Ribchester and Whalley, Lancashire. A further two companies of around 100 troops each were at 12 hours and 24 hours notice to support, but did not deploy.
6-16 December 2015 - Around 300 troops, 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS, deployed to conduct tasks across two counties; around 10 troops deployed to Lancaster Hospital, the remainder deployed throughout Cumbria to tasks at Carlisle, Patterdale and Glenridding, Appleby, St Michael on Wyre, Keswick, Cockermouth, Garstang and the clearance of the A591. In addition, there were around 300 troops held at notice in unit lines 200 of whom were from 2 LANCS.
28 December 2015 - 8 January 2016 - Around 400 troops from 2 LANCS deployed, as did around 100 troops from other Regiments. These troops conducted tasks within this period across four counties at: Croston, the River Douglas, Ribchester and Whalley in Lancashire, as well as locations across North and West Yorkshire and Cumbria. There were further around 1050 troops from other Regiments held at notice.
Although around 35 Reservists were employed during the December and January periods of support, and around 5 Reservists were held at short notice, none of them were from 2 LANCS.
The Armed Forces, particularly 2 LANCS as the UK Standby Battalion, were heavily involved in the emergency response in what was a very dynamic situation and they played a significant role in helping local authorities and the Environment Agency respond to the floods. I would like to take this opportunity again to thank all those involved in the response to the floods across all the affected areas, from troops on the ground to air crews and those in command roles.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that small and medium-sized manufacturers benefit from his Department's procurement of defence equipment.
Answered by Philip Dunne
Small businesses provide an important source of innovation and flexibility in meeting defence requirements.
The Department has a target to spend at least 15% of our equipment and support budget with small and medium-sized enterprises. But in 2013-14, I am pleased to confirm we exceeded this target, spending 19.4%: some £1 billion directly with SMEs, and £3 billion indirectly through the supply chain.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance his Department is providing to the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan for ensuring security.
Answered by Mark Francois - Shadow Minister (Defence)
Pakistan faces a severe threat from improvised explosive device (IED) attacks perpetrated by terrorist groups, and has sought assistance from the UK to help tackle this threat and develop the capabilities of its security forces.
The UK is delivering a counter-IED (C-IED) programme to help Pakistan establish a multi-agency capability for tackling IEDs. Pakistan now has a rapidly expanding C-IED capability with close to 5,000 practitioners trained, which has helped significantly to deal with the scourge of IEDs and save Pakistani lives. The impact of our assistance has been felt across Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has been greatly appreciated by the Pakistan government and military leadership.