To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Income
Tuesday 3rd April 2018

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Government received in income for services provided by his Department to foreign governments in each year since 2010; and for what services was such income received.

Answered by Guto Bebb

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Assets
Wednesday 21st March 2018

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much money his Department has raised from the sale of (a) assets, (b) land and (c) buildings in each year since 2010.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

Income raised by the Department from the sale of surplus assets, buildings and land since 2010 is as follows:

Financial Year

Assets £ (million)

Land and Buildings £ (million)

2010-2011

33

50

2011-2012

231

86

2012-2013

40

119

2013-2014

45

123

2014-2015

30

117

2015-2016

49

392

2016-2017

71

156

Proceeds from the sale of surplus land and buildings are not reported separately.


Written Question
Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure
Friday 16th March 2018

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018, Spring Statement, HCWS 540, if he will publish a list of where the £12.7 million allocated to his Department to realise the opportunities from EU exit will be spent.

Answered by Guto Bebb

The Ministry of Defence has been allocated £12.7 million in 2018-19 for essential EU exit preparations. This will fund preserving three Off-Shore Patrol Vessels, should they be needed to control and enforce UK waters and fisheries. It also includes some EU Exit preparedness funding for UK defence bases in Europe. As with all HMT Reserve funding, finalised allocations will be confirmed at Supplementary Estimates 2018-19 in early 2019.


Written Question
Armed Forces: Private Rented Housing
Tuesday 19th December 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many armed forces personnel lived in private rented accommodation in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015, (g) 2016 and (h) 2017.

Answered by Tobias Ellwood

The Ministry of Defence does not hold information on the numbers of Service personnel who privately rent their accommodation.


Written Question
Military Aid
Monday 30th October 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2017 to Question 105974, on military aid, which countries received funding from his Department's Defence Assistance Fund in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (g) 2016.

Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

The Ministry of Defence provides a range of support and assistance to countries across the globe through defence engagement and financed through the Defence Assistance Fund. The list of countries is attached.


Written Question
Military Aid
Monday 30th October 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of (a) training foreign military officers in the UK, (b) training foreign military officers overseas and (c) providing logistical support for foreign militaries in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012, (iv) 2013, (v) 2014, (vi) 2015 and (vii) 2016.

Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

The Defence Assistance Fund supports a variety of training and education for international officials and military personnel of all ranks in pursuit of UK defence engagement objectives. This training is provided in the UK and, to a much lesser extent, overseas. This breaks down as follows:

UK based training and educationin £ millions:

2010 - £12.865

2011 - £11.823

2012 - £11.922

2013 - £15.425

2014 - £16.421

2015 - £21.010

2016 - £26.940

Overseas training and education in £ millions:

2010 - £0.231

2011 - £0.204

2012 - £0.405

2013 - £0.210

2014 - £0.137

2015 - £0.148

2016 - £0.380

I am unable to answer the third part of your question without a more precise definition of the term "Logistical Support".


Written Question
Military Aid
Wednesday 11th October 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many countries his Department currently provides military aid to.

Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not use the term military aid to categorise activity. We do though provide a range of support and assistance to countries across the globe through defence engagement and financed through the Defence Assistance Fund.

The MOD's Defence Assistance Fund supports a variety of defence engagement activities designed to provide practical help and assistance to the nations concerned, at the same time contributing to the UK's own security objectives, including by developing defence relations and increasing UK influence. Assistance may include the provision of military training and education. Defence engagement helps to build the capacity of the recipient nation to address security challenges, both domestically and on the wider stage, including those of terrorism and violent extremism, helping keep Britain safe.

The number of countries in financial year 2017-18 where activity is programmed or has been completed is 116.

Defence Assistance Fund expenditure by financial year (£million)

2007-08 - 9.607

2008-09 - 8.037

2009-10 - 11.040

2010-11 - 13.096

2011-12 - 12.027

2012-13 - 12.327

2013-14 - 15.635

2014-15 - 16.558

2015-16 - 21.158

2016-17 - 27.320


Written Question
Military Aid
Wednesday 11th October 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much financial aid the Government gave foreign militaries in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not use the term military aid to categorise activity. We do though provide a range of support and assistance to countries across the globe through defence engagement and financed through the Defence Assistance Fund.

The MOD's Defence Assistance Fund supports a variety of defence engagement activities designed to provide practical help and assistance to the nations concerned, at the same time contributing to the UK's own security objectives, including by developing defence relations and increasing UK influence. Assistance may include the provision of military training and education. Defence engagement helps to build the capacity of the recipient nation to address security challenges, both domestically and on the wider stage, including those of terrorism and violent extremism, helping keep Britain safe.

The number of countries in financial year 2017-18 where activity is programmed or has been completed is 116.

Defence Assistance Fund expenditure by financial year (£million)

2007-08 - 9.607

2008-09 - 8.037

2009-10 - 11.040

2010-11 - 13.096

2011-12 - 12.027

2012-13 - 12.327

2013-14 - 15.635

2014-15 - 16.558

2015-16 - 21.158

2016-17 - 27.320


Written Question
Aircraft Carriers; Military Aircraft
Tuesday 12th September 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many aircraft are currently in service on the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH is not yet in service; although Royal Navy Merlin helicopters provided support to the first phase of her sea trials.

We have taken delivery of 11 F-35B aircraft, which are currenetly stationed in the US for training. We will have taken delivery of 14 F-35B aircraft by the end of the year.

On current plans, following her entry to service, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH will commence flying trials in 2018, building towards a carrier strike capability from the end of 2020. In this role, our Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers will have the capacity to operate F35-B Lightning II aircraft, with associated Rotary Wing force protection and support.


Written Question
Defence: Procurement
Friday 8th September 2017

Asked by: Peter Dowd (Labour - Bootle)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many defence procurement contracts went over budget in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015, (g) 2016 and (h) 2017.

Answered by Harriett Baldwin

The Ministry of Defence awards thousands of contracts each year, with expenditure against each closely monitored by the relevant Project Team. Information about these is published in the Trade Industry & Contracts Statistical Bulletin which is available at the following link:

http://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-trade-industry-and-contracts-2016