To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions British commanders in Afghanistan have requested the use of coalition helicopters; and on how many occasions this has been agreed to. (287433)

Helicopter support to ISAF operations in Regional Command (South) is provided from a multinational pool of helicopters, to which the UK makes a significant contribution. The UK routinely requests the use of the Regional Command (South) helicopter assets, and these requests are met by available assets. UK helicopters are also tasked by Regional Command (South) to support other nations within the Regional Command (South) area of operations. The specific number of requests and occasions when British Commanders have used coalition helicopters is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which helicopters owned by the armed forces of other nations and manned by (a) UK and (b) non-UK aircrew the UK has borrowed for service in Afghanistan since 1 January 2008; and if he will make a statement. (286819)

Helicopter support to ISAF operations in Southern Afghanistan, where the majority of British troops are located, is provided from a multinational pool of helicopters allocated by Regional Command (South), to which the UK makes a significant contribution. Therefore, the UK makes use of helicopter capability from other nations and also provides helicopter capability to support other nations. Helicopters are matched to tasks on the basis of capacity, capability and availability rather than nationality.

The UK does not provide complete crews for helicopters from other nations. On occasion the UK deploys exchange officers with the armed forces of other nations but we do not centrally record the individual missions which they are tasked with in Afghanistan. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.