Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts
Monday 6th July 2020

(3 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Ben Wallace Portrait Mr Wallace
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Recruitment is up, as is retention. That is the direction of travel. That is what we are delivering for our armed forces. It is very clear that our armed forces are growing, as is our defence spending, which is our commitment.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
- Hansard - -

What recent estimate he has made of the number of British armed forces personnel stationed abroad who have contracted covid-19.

James Heappey Portrait The Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey)
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Twenty-five service personnel have tested positive for covid while serving overseas.

Jim Shannon Portrait Jim Shannon
- Hansard - -

I thank the Minister for his response. Will he further outline whether any personnel have had to return home due to covid-19 issues? If there is a facility to get our troops home as needed, are they hospitalised according to their regimental location, or are they hospitalised all together?

James Heappey Portrait James Heappey
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am not aware of any individual circumstances in which someone has been recovered back to the UK as a consequence of having tested positive. The symptoms would determine whether they required hospitalisation. Medical facilities in all theatres of operation and on all ships are appropriate to deal with covid as it would normally stand. If an instance had been more serious, we would of course have looked at the need to recover the individual.