Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is to date of the Afghan relocation programme (ARAP); and whether funding for ARAP is classified as Official Development Assistance and payable from the present ODA budget.
Answered by James Heappey
The current estimate of MOD cost of supporting the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is £8.25 million. This includes:
The MOD continues to incur costs for the movement of persons to the UK, but is not responsible for the significant costs will be incurred by Home Office in delivering the Managed Quarantine Service, bridging accommodation and wrap around support for the ARAP population in the UK, including costs of accommodation and services once in the UK.
We do not anticipate that this expenditure will be classified as Official Development Assistance
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is currently or has been part of a trial for the EU’s Coordinated Annual Review on Defence.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK participated in the trial run of the EU's Coordinated Annual Review on Defence in 2017-18. The trial run culminated in a report that was presented to Ministers in November 2018.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the Government plans to ensure that the UK does not become part of the EU’s military unification project in the event that the UK remains in the European Defence Agency, the European Defence Fund, the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the Permanent Structured Co-operation programme.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
NATO will remain the cornerstone of our defence and security, and the UK will retain full sovereign control over its defence policy and decision making. A deal with the EU will, however, enable us to cooperate on foreign and security policy issues of shared interest. Accordingly, the Political Declaration agreed in November 2018 states that the UK's future relationship with the EU should benefit from cooperation on capabilities that facilitate interoperability and to promote joint effectiveness of Armed Forces. It thereby provides the option for the UK to participate in mutually beneficial capability projects and initiatives on a case-by-case basis, through the European Defence Agency, the European Defence Fund and PESCO, subject to conditions in Union law.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the UK armed forces are stationed in South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
On 2 January 2018, there were 345 members of the UK Armed Forces deployed in South Sudan.