Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what independent assessment has been made of the number of refugees living in the Tindouf camps; and what the most recent estimate of that number is.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have no access to independent figures on the number of refugees living in the Tindouf camps. The UK supports the language in the UN Secretary General’s latest report on the situation in Western Sahara (S/2014/258), which cites a figure of 90,000 refugees.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on when the report to the European Anti Fraud Office on food aid for the Tindouf refugee camps was (a) undertaken, (b) completed and (c) published.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman.Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the findings of the report of the European Anti Fraud Office on food aid for the Tindouf refugee camps.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The report cites three key elements to the fraud: the diversion of food aid, the inflation of refugee numbers in camps and the use of unpaid labour. The evidence may encourage the European Commission to look at measures to reduce the risk of fraudulent practices.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221266, what steps his Department took to inform all those members of the UK Armed Forces who served with the British Detachment in Sarajevo during the qualifying period of their eligibility to receive the medal, including those who had left the Armed Forces.
Answered by Anna Soubry
UK Service personnel were not additionally eligible for the UNPROFOR Medal, the United Nations Special Service Medal, the NATO Medal, or the WEU Mission Service Medal in respect of the same period of operational service. Permission to accept and wear more than one of these medals will have been granted only when each period of qualifying service could be clearly differentiated. Concurrent qualification was not admissible.
Applications to receive the UN Special Service medal within 12 months of leaving theatre was a directive issued by the United Nations, to which the UK was obliged to adhere.
Information regarding eligibility to receive the medal in recognition of Service with the British Detachment in Sarajevo was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions. This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time. For those who had already left service, information was available from their relevant medal office or Regimental Association.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221266, for what reasons applications to receive the UN Special Service medal can only be made within 12 months of leaving theatre.
Answered by Anna Soubry
UK Service personnel were not additionally eligible for the UNPROFOR Medal, the United Nations Special Service Medal, the NATO Medal, or the WEU Mission Service Medal in respect of the same period of operational service. Permission to accept and wear more than one of these medals will have been granted only when each period of qualifying service could be clearly differentiated. Concurrent qualification was not admissible.
Applications to receive the UN Special Service medal within 12 months of leaving theatre was a directive issued by the United Nations, to which the UK was obliged to adhere.
Information regarding eligibility to receive the medal in recognition of Service with the British Detachment in Sarajevo was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions. This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time. For those who had already left service, information was available from their relevant medal office or Regimental Association.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2015 to Question 221266, whether UK Armed Forces who served with the British Detachment in Sarajevo during the qualifying period are eligible to receive the UN Special Service medal in addition to their UN Bosnia medal.
Answered by Anna Soubry
UK Service personnel were not additionally eligible for the UNPROFOR Medal, the United Nations Special Service Medal, the NATO Medal, or the WEU Mission Service Medal in respect of the same period of operational service. Permission to accept and wear more than one of these medals will have been granted only when each period of qualifying service could be clearly differentiated. Concurrent qualification was not admissible.
Applications to receive the UN Special Service medal within 12 months of leaving theatre was a directive issued by the United Nations, to which the UK was obliged to adhere.
Information regarding eligibility to receive the medal in recognition of Service with the British Detachment in Sarajevo was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions. This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time. For those who had already left service, information was available from their relevant medal office or Regimental Association.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2015 to Question 220486, how Royal Navy and Army personnel who served with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees detachment in Sarajevo can claim the UN Special Service Medal.
Answered by Mark Francois
Eligible Service personnel can no longer claim the UN Special Service Medal. The eligibility for this medal commenced on 3 July 1992 and ran until 12 January 1996. Applications for this medal could only be made within 12 months of leaving theatre.
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2015 to Question 219981, what arrangements were put in place to inform qualifying servicemen and women of their eligibility to receive the UN Special Service medal for the Sarajevo Airlift; whether they are allowed to wear that medal; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The information was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions (DCIs). This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time.
Her Majesty authorised the acceptance and wear of categories 2 and 3 of the UN Special Service Medal for the Sarajevo Airlift. Category 2 medals were awarded to personnel who served on the ground for 90 days or more with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) detachments at Ancona, Split and Zagreb. Category 3 medals were awarded to aircrew that completed 100 landings at Sarajevo.
Detailed information on the rules governing the wearing of medals can be found in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 761 - Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces, which is available on-line at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/honours-and-awards-in-the-armed-forces-jsp-761
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2015 to Question 219980, what rules relating to the wearing of medals govern those UK servicemen and women who served in (a) Sarajevo and (b) other areas of the former Yugoslavia that were subject to both UN and NATO mandates.
Answered by Julian Brazier
The information was originally promulgated to Armed Forces personnel and Ministry of Defence staff through Defence Council Instructions (DCIs). This was the usual method of issuing instructions and guidance pertaining to medals at that time.
Her Majesty authorised the acceptance and wear of categories 2 and 3 of the UN Special Service Medal for the Sarajevo Airlift. Category 2 medals were awarded to personnel who served on the ground for 90 days or more with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) detachments at Ancona, Split and Zagreb. Category 3 medals were awarded to aircrew that completed 100 landings at Sarajevo.
Detailed information on the rules governing the wearing of medals can be found in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 761 - Honours and Awards in the Armed Forces, which is available on-line at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/honours-and-awards-in-the-armed-forces-jsp-761
Asked by: Hugh Robertson (Conservative - Faversham and Mid Kent)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what rules govern the wearing of a NATO medal for service in former Yugoslavia by UK service personnel who served in Bosnia during the UN mandate but while NATO was providing air cover.
Answered by Anna Soubry
Between 1992 and 2002, members of the UK Armed Forces served in the former Yugoslavia under the command of the UN Protection Force or NATO. UK personnel who served within this period and met the eligibility criteria were entitled to receive either the UN Medal or NATO Service Medal. Eligibility for the UN Medal commenced on 1 March 1992 and ran until 31 December 1995. Eligibility for the NATO Service Medal commenced on 1 July 1992 and ended on 31 December 2002.
UK personnel serving between 1992 and 1995 were not permitted to receive both awards for the same period of service. This would have contravened a central principle of the UK honours system of no double-medalling, which states that only one form of medallic recognition is acceptable for a single period of service. Therefore, personnel serving between 1992 and 1995 received either the UN Medal or the NATO Service Medal, depending on whether they were under UN or NATO command. Personnel serving from 1996 onwards would be entitled only to the NATO Service Medal.
Both medals were approved by Her Majesty to be accepted and worn.