Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Excerpts
Monday 19th October 2015

(8 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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I entirely agree with my hon. and learned Friend. Our remotely piloted aircraft play a key role in current operations in the middle east and the 2% commitment enables us to obtain more of them. We have a moral duty to protect the lives of our servicemen and women to the best of our ability, and the use of remotely piloted aircraft avoids placing our aircrews in jeopardy.

Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston Portrait Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab)
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If ISIL is degraded in Syria, what assessment has been made of whether the vacuum will simply be filled by Assad?

Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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ISIL is being directed from an area of north-east Syria where Assad has no control at the moment. That is where it has its command and control, its logistics, its personnel and the command of its supply routes from Syria into Iraq. It is well away from most of the civil war that is raging further west in Syria.