HC Deb 10 January 2001 vol 360 cc543-4W
Mr. Menzies Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planned level of defence medical staff is required to support the European Rapid Reaction Force if deployed at a capacity of 60,000; if defence medical staff deployed to support the ERRF will be(a) pooled and (b) operate in national field hospitals; how many medical staff have been pledged, and by which European countries, to date; how many defence medical staff, and in which specialties, have been pledged by the UK to date; and if he will make a statement. [143658]

Mr. Hoon

There is no such entity as a standing European Rapid Reaction Force. In the maximum scale operation envisaged at Helsinki—a corps-level deployment of up to 60,000 ground troops—the UK component could be around 12,500 strong. Maritime and air deployments of up to 18 warships and 72 combat aircraft could be made in addition. The appropriate scaling of medical staff and facilities to support such a deployment will be dependent on the operational circumstances at the time.

Medical staff are usually deployed on a national basis, but may be employed within a multinational framework, again dependent on the operational circumstances.

It is inappropriate for the UK to detail the possible contributions of other member states.