Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Government's response to the Defence Committee on UK military operations in Syria and Iraq, published on 9 March 2017, HC 1065, whether the UK has conducted airstrikes against the leadership of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.
Answered by Mike Penning
The UK has not conducted any airstrikes against Jabhat Fatah al-Shams.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2017 to Question 64012, how many UK personnel are assigned to US Africa Command; at what bases they are stationed; and what roles they undertake.
Answered by Mike Penning
The UK currently has eight posts established within US Africa Command (Stuttgart) and its subordinate command Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) (Djibouti):
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Answer of 3 July 2014 to Question 202477, whether all deployments of US military personnel from (a) RAF Menwith Hill, (b) RAF Croughton and (c) RAF Molesworth are carried out with the full knowledge and consent of the Government.
Answered by Mike Penning
The deployment of US military personnel from the United States Visiting Forces bases at RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Croughton and RAF Molesworth is a matter for the US military authorities; there is no requirement for the Ministry of Defence to be notified of such deployments.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of permitting veterans in receipt of benefits under the War Pension Scheme, as a result of injuries received in service prior to 2005, to transfer to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The War Pensions Scheme (WPS) and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) are two entirely separate schemes. The WPS provides no fault compensation to former Service personnel and their dependants for injuries and death as a result of service before 6 April 2005. The AFCS provides compensation for injury, illness or death caused by service in the UK Armed Forces on or after 6 April 2005. It is therefore not possible for a veteran in receipt of benefits under the WPS to transfer to the AFCS for injuries caused in service prior to 2005.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Iraq Historic Allegations Team will prosecute current and former members of the armed forces under the legal system in the constituent part of the UK in which they currently reside.
Answered by Mike Penning
Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) investigations are conducted under the statutory framework of the Armed Forces Act 2006, which applies uniformly throughout the United Kingdom. Any decision to prosecute rests with the Director of Service Prosecutions.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the current or former members of the armed forces resident in Scotland who are being investigated by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team in respect of alleged criminal actions have access to legal advice and support.
Answered by Mike Penning
There is a comprehensive package of support available to all Service personnel and veterans subject to Iraq Historical Allegations Team investigations. This includes legal support which is normally provided through the Armed Forces Legal Aid Scheme. It was announced last year that the Ministry of Defence will not recover any costs of such support from individuals in any cases relating to their service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK personnel have been assigned to US Africa Command in the last three years.
Answered by Mike Penning
Yes. A small number of UK personnel are assigned to US Africa Command (AFRICOM) in order to improve our strategic and operational alignment with US Forces in Africa.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Attorney General's speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies on 11 January 2017, whether UK armed forces have been engaged in military action on the basis of self-defence since 21 August 2015.
Answered by Mike Penning
UK armed forces have not engaged in military action on the legal basis of self-defence of the UK since 21 August 2015.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) the armed forces and (b) his Department provided support or assistance to US Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya in 2016.
Answered by Mike Penning
The Ministry of Defence works closely with our international partners, including the US, on counter-Daesh operations. In 2016, US air-to-air refuelling aircraft provided support to Operation Odyssey Lightning from RAF Mildenhall. The operation was conducted with the consent of the Libyan Government and in accordance with the law of armed conflict.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's publication, UK armed forces suicide and open verdict deaths: 1984-2015, published on 31 March 2016, what the aggregated five-year averages were of deaths of members of the (a) Royal Navy and (b) other branches of the naval services that were classified as death by suicide or recorded as an open verdict.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The attached table provides an annual breakdown of coroner-confirmed suicides and open verdict deaths among Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel in calendar years 1984 to 2015. The numbers presented may change when outstanding coroner verdicts are returned on deaths that have occurred since 2007.
The figures presented are the actual number of suicide and open verdict deaths per year rather than five year average numbers. Suicide rates across the Services show a declining trend since the 1990s, similar to that seen in the UK general population. Rates among the UK Regular Armed Forces were lower than the UK general population1,2 throughout 1984-2015. The male suicide rate in the UK general population in 2014 was 16.8 per 100,000 compared to a UK Armed Forces male Tri-Service rate of 4 per 100,000.
1 Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2012) Suicide Rates in the United Kingdom, 2006 to 2010
2 Suicides in the United Kingdom 2013 Registrations, release 4 February 2016, ONS.