Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 79 of the July 2018 White Paper, The future relationship between the UK and the EU, Cm 9593, whether he has estimated the number of UK armed forces personnel that will be required to host an Operational Headquarters.

The White Paper published in July includes a UK offer to host an EU Operational Headquarters (OHQ) after Brexit but the text of the Withdrawal Agreement, agreed at the 2018 March European Council, states that the UK cannot host an EU OHQ during the Implementation Period. Longer term arrangements with the EU are subject to negotiations, and no estimate has been made of any potential UK contribution to an EU OHQ whether in the UK or elsewhere.