Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many military personnel were tasked via military aid to the civilian authorities to support the refuse collection strike in Birmingham.

The government has been supporting Birmingham City Council in its efforts to address the backlog of waste that had been building up on the city’s streets, and significant progress has been made in the last fortnight. This support has included the three office-based military personnel with logistical expertise that were made available to the council to assist with planning. They have now returned to normal duties. We are grateful to our colleagues in the MoD for their support. We are working with the Council on options to address further costs arising from the industrial action