Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of leaving the EU (a) with a deal and (b) under a no-deal scenario on the legal status and chain of command for UK armed forces personnel serving on EU-led missions.
The Political Declaration on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom sets out the basis for our future cooperation as a third country. This includes providing the legal framework, in the form of a Framework Participation Agreement, for the UK to contribute to EU crisis management operations and missions, on a case-by-case basis and when in the mutual interests. Such a partnership must respect the sovereignty of the UK, the UK will maintain control over its defence policy and decision making.
In a No Deal scenario, the UK would withdraw from Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations - both military and civilian, and associated personnel seconded to the EU institutions. The UK would continue to act through other multilateral fora, including through the UN and NATO.