Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Black Hornet drones the British Army (a) possesses and (b) has deployed in active service.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Army first purchased 160 Black Hornet 1 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in 2011 as part of a £20 million contract with FLIR UAS (formerly Prox Dynamics). The systems were used on operations in Afghanistan, but that capability has since been phased out. In 2019 the Army purchased 90 of the upgraded Black Hornet 3 UAS at a contract value of £1.7 million. There is no intention to deploy the capability on operations at this time.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much her Department has spent on the acquisition of Black Hornet drones.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Army first purchased 160 Black Hornet 1 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in 2011 as part of a £20 million contract with FLIR UAS (formerly Prox Dynamics). The systems were used on operations in Afghanistan, but that capability has since been phased out. In 2019 the Army purchased 90 of the upgraded Black Hornet 3 UAS at a contract value of £1.7 million. There is no intention to deploy the capability on operations at this time.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate she has made of the number of cross-border rocket strikes from Yemen in 2019.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Whilst we judge that the level of cross-border activity is declining, given the nature of rocket attacks, which are of varying calibres, it is not possible to provide any reliable estimate.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate she has made of the number of casualties as a result of strikes on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport on 12 June 2019.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The media have reported there being 26 casualties as a result of strikes on Saudi Arabia's Abha airport on 12 June 2019, and we have no reason to dispute this figure.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Saudi Arabian and (b) UAE nationals have trained at the (i) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and (ii) Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth since 2015.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The information requested for the period 1 January 2015 to 15 April 2019 is as follows:
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
| Number of Personnel | |
Country | Army Initial Officer Training | Other Lower Tier Courses |
Saudi Arabia | 3 | 5 |
UAE | 51 | 0 |
Britannia Royal Naval College
| Number of Personnel | |
Country | Royal Navy Initial Officer Training | Other Lower Tier Courses |
Saudi Arabia | 52 | 0 |
UAE | 14 | 37 |
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK military personnel are involved in or supporting international operations against Al Qaeda and Daesh in Eastern Yemen.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
There are no UK military personnel involved in or supporting international operations against Al-Qaeda and Daesh in Eastern Yemen.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents of concern regarding violations of international humanitarian law in Yemen his Department has tracked in each month since January 2018.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Disaggregating this information to 2018 alone would be misleading without the addition of sensitive contextual information, which I am withholding as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and other States.
As at 4 July, the total number of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Yemen listed on the "Tracker" database maintained by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is 356. Of these, 14 are duplicate entries, which means that some incidents will have been recorded on more than one occasion likely because of the incomplete nature of Non-Governmental Organisation and media reporting upon which the MOD relies to update the "Tracker".
The MOD does not investigate allegations of IHL violations. The Saudi-led Coalition is best placed to do this, and does so through its Joint Incident Assessment Team.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether members of the Royal Air Force stationed in the Middle East are acting in an advisory capacity to the Saudi-Emirati led coalition on the military operation in Hudaydah in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
No. Members of the Royal Air Force stationed in the Middle East are not acting in an advisory capacity to the Saudi-Emirati led coalition on the military operation in Hudaydah. We continue to press for action to address the humanitarian situation and encourage all parties to engage in the UN-led political process in good faith. We have been clear that ultimately the only solution to the Yemeni conflict is a political one.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will conduct a new Strategic Defence and Security Review when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Michael Fallon
In the light of the rapidly changing international situation and the intensification of the threats identified in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Government is conducting a National Security Capability Review to ensure our capabilities are as effective and efficient as possible. Defence is playing a full role in this work - undertaken to look again at the specific capabilities available not just to the Ministry of Defence but across Government, to ensure that as threats intensify we continue to have the right capabilities in the right places to meet them.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK service personnel are embedded with or seconded to the national armed forces of other countries in the coalition participating in Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen.
Answered by Michael Fallon
Around 80 UK Service personnel are either embedded with or seconded to the national Armed Forces of the 10 countries involved in Operation RESTORING HOPE. No UK Service personnel are taking part in coalition operations in Yemen.