Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what military training the UK has provided to the armed forces of Ecuador since 2014; and what plans his Department has to provide military training to the armed forces of Ecuador in the future.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
According to our records, the Ministry of Defence has not provided any military training to the armed forces of Ecuador since 2014 and currently has no plans to do so.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) RAF and (b) Government-funded subcontracted personnel work in Saudi Arabia to provide technical and maintenance support to the Saudi Arabian air force.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There are currently nine RAF personnel seconded to BAE Systems who provide engineering support for UK-supplied aircraft and systems operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force.
There are no Government-funded subcontracted personnel.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK-supplied military equipment has been used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen since March 2015.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael Fallon) said on the 19 December 2016 (Official Report 618, column 1216), the Royal Saudi Air Force has operated UK-supplied Typhoon and Tornado aircraft in Yemen and used Paveway, Dual Mode Brimstone, Storm Shadow and ALARM munitions.
The Saudi-led Coalition confirmed that a limited number of UK-manufactured BL-755 munitions were dropped in Yemen but that these UK manufactured munitions would be no longer used.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Turkey has trained and recruited former Islamic State militants to aid its operations in Afrin.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
We are not aware of any specific reports that Turkey has trained and recruited former Islamic State militants to aid its operations in Afrin. However, affiliations and allegiances between opposition and extremist groups within Syria are known to be fluid and we would not discount the possibility that former members of Daesh have taken part in Turkish-led operations in Afrin.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the extent to which Saudi Arabian-supplied arms are reaching Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The Ministry of Defence has not undertaken any such formal assessment.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many British ground forces are operating in Syria; and with which countries those forces are embedded.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
We do not provide details of the locations of our embedded personnel as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. Details of UK Armed Forces embedded in other countries' forces are published annually in the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, to which South American countries the UK provides military training.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK has deep and enduring interests in Latin America and the Caribbean. We have a long historical association with the continent which endures in the form of strong bilateral relationships, various treaties and alliances. During 2018 the UK provided military training to the following South American countries: Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Guyana; Uruguay; Paraguay and Peru.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant the Answer of 10 December 2018 to Question 198814 on Ministry of Defence: Integrity Initiative and with reference to the (a) invoice of 22 November 2017 to the Ministry of Defence from The Institute of Statecraft asking for payment into a bank account entitled The Integrity Initiative Programme, invoice number II 22 11 17UKR and (b) remittance advice of 4 December 2017 from the Ministry of Defence to the Institute of Statecraft, reference number 277966, contractor code K0584 / 00 for £6,788.52, what information his Department holds on that (i) invoice and (ii) remittance advice; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
This payment was made by the Ministry of Defence to the Institute of Statecraft on 29 November 2017. It was included in my earlier answer on this issue (Question 200608) and was for specialist training for the Army. This payment was not identified in the Department's search in response to Question 198814 as the payment was made to The Institute of Statecraft, rather than its Integrity Initiative programme.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made any payments to The Bulldog Trust in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Ministry of Defence has made no payments to the Bulldog Trust in these financial years.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the amount of funding each recipient has received under the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's Local Grants Programme in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
This information is published online at:
http://www.covenantfund.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Local-grants-2015-16.pdf
http://www.covenantfund.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Local-grants-2016-17.pdf
http://www.covenantfund.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Local-grants-2017-18.pdf