§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of those activities in which Her Majesty's armed forces have assisted civilian populations during periods of natural disasters over the past 20 years.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe armed forces have supported civilian authorities during periods of natural disaster both at home and overseas on numerous occasions over the past 20 years. An exhaustive list of those activities could be provided only at disproportionate cost, but the following list compiled from the readily available records, gives an indication of the frequency with which the services' help is provided.
Date Country 1970 Bangladesh (East Pakistan) Floods 1970 Tunisia Floods 1970 Turkey Earthquake 1972 Hong Kong Landslide 1972 Fiji Hurricane 1972 Rodriguez Cyclone 1972 Philippines Floods 1973 Pakistan Floods 1973 West Africa Famine 1973 Nepal Famine 1974 Belize Hurricane 1974 United Kingdom Floods 1974 Ethiopia Famine 1974 Honduras Hurricane 1974 West Africa Famine 1976 United Kingdom Drought/Fires 1978 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1979 United Kingdom Floods 1979 Jamaica Floods 1979–80 West Indies Hurricane 1980 Nepal Famine 1980 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1980–81 Italy Earthquake 1980–81 West Indies Hurricane 1981 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1981–82 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1984 Mexico Earthquake 1985 Ethiopia Famine 1986 Jamaica Bad Weather 1986 Solomon Islands Hurricane 1986 West Indies Floods 1986 El Salvador Earthquake 1986–87 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1987 Cook Islands Cyclone 1987 Bermuda Hurricane 1987 Vanuatu Cyclone 1987–88 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1988 West Indies Hurricane 1988 Nepal Earthquake 1989 West Indies Hurricane 1990 United Kingdom Bad Weather 1990 Western Samoa Cyclone
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish for each of the past 10 years the number of civilians rescued at sea by Royal Navy helicopters.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonInformation for the years before 1983 is not held in the form requested. Since 1983 Royal Navy helicopters have rescued the following number of civilians at sea:676W
Year Number Rescued 1983 133 1984 88 1985 102 1986 74 1987 85 1988 80 1989 161