§ 14. Mr. Patrick McNair-WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the arrangements for co-operation between the Royal Navy and other Western navies in the Gulf.
§ Mr. Ian StewartSatisfactory arrangements have been developed, both locally and between capitals, for co-operation. Although the Royal Navy's Armilla patrol remains a wholly national operation, the United Kingdom is committed to close co-ordination with other Western navies also working to preserve international freedom of navigation on Gulf waters.
31. Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Royal Navy's mineclearing operations in the Gulf.
§ Mr. Ian StewartFour Royal Navy mine countermeasures vessels with afloat support arrived in the Gulf area in mid-September. They have carried out mine clearance operations at Fujairah, where they detected and destroyed five mines, and off Dubai. They are currently involved in a further mine clearance operation off Qatar.
§ 34. Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of British units and ships currently serving in the Gulf area and their length of service there to date.
§ Mr. Ian StewartIt is not our general policy to give details of the operational deployments of Royal Navy ships. However, I can say that there are currently three destroyers-frigates, four mine counter-measures vessels 161W and their afloat support in the area of the Gulf. Royal Navy ships have been serving in the area as part of the Armilla patrol since 1980; the MCMVs supporting the patrol arrived in the area in mid-September. Although there are no British military units currently in the Gulf area, a number of loan service personnel are serving in various countries in the region.