Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which territories in the Caribbean the Royal Auxiliary Mounts Bay is supporting following Hurricane Irma.

Over half a million British nationals - either residents or tourists - have been in the path of Hurricane Irma which has caused devastation across an area spanning well over a thousand miles.

We are doing all we can to help them all as we deal with an extremely challenging situation but it is going to take time and we have to prioritise those most in need.

Since Thursday 7 September COBR has met regularly to co-ordinate the Government's response - bringing together military, aid and consular effort.

There are now over 1,100 military personnel and over 50 UK civil police in the Caribbean region, Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) MOUNTS BAY, two aircraft and four helicopters capable of transporting aid and personnel between the islands.

Over the next few days a further 200 troops will be travelling to the Caribbean and a further medical evacuation team will arrive in the region to support the transport of patients requiring urgent medical assistance to medical facilities, bringing the total of these specialist teams up to three.

More than 40 metric tonnes of aid has now arrived and is being distributed across the region - including 2,896 shelter kits, which can provide shelter for over 13,000 people, and 4,990 solar lanterns, which can provide essential light and power for over 11,000 people.

RFA MOUNTS BAY was pre-positioned in the region ahead of hurricane season with vital aid supplies, specially trained military personnel and a Wildcat helicopter. This meant that when Hurricane Irma hit we could start getting help to Anguilla as soon as it was safe to do so.

Initially MOUNTS BAY assisted Anguilla to restore power to the hospital, reinforced shelters, conducted reconnaissance of the airport, and delivered six tonnes of aid.

From Friday 8 to Saturday 9 September, RFA MOUNTS BAY was in the British Virgin Islands assessing urgent requirements and providing humanitarian support. During this period troops were deployed to secure the airport and vital supplies were delivered to Tortola hospital. She also provided lifesaving supplies to 300 islanders on Jost Van Dyke who were cut off with no food, water, power or communications.

RFA MOUNTS BAY subsequently resupplied with more essential aid before returning to Anguilla on Monday 11 September where she delivered building supplies to the airport to get it up and running and urgent medical supplies to the hospital.

On Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 September, she returned to the British Virgin Islands where she continued to deliver aid, reconstruction stores and engineering assistance. She conducted a further resupply to Jost Van Dyke and engineers repaired a power plant which restored power supply to a large number of buildings including a water desalination plant.