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Armed Forces: Training

Volume 462: debated on Monday 25 June 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of foreign armed forces received (a) training and (b) hospitality at UK military establishments in each year since 2001, broken down by (i) nationality and (ii) reason for providing the training; and whether agreements applied to the provision of the training. (143682)

Since April 2001 22,307 members of foreign armed forces from 148 countries have received training at military establishments in the United Kingdom. All of these individuals will have received some form of hospitality offered by the training establishment, ranging from a simple welcoming reception to the provision of MOD service accommodation. This applies to all course places whether they are part or fully paid for by MOD, or whether the country in question pays for the training itself. The provision of training places is governed by various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements. The principal objective of this training activity is to use British Defence assets to discourage hostility abroad, build and maintain trust between states, and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces; thereby helping to make a significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution.

The breakdown of countries receiving training, the total numbers of students trained by financial year, and details of whether training is delivered under some form of agreement is tabulated as follows:

International defence training provided to overseas personnel since 2001

Country

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-061

2006-07

2007-to date

Agreements2

Afghanistan

X

X

X

X

Yes

Albania

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Algeria

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Angola

X

X

X

X

Antigua and Barbuda

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Argentina

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Armenia

X

X

X

X

Australia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Austria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Azerbaijan

X

X

X

X

X

Bahamas

X

X

X

X

X

Bahrain

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Bangladesh

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Barbados

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Belgium

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Belize

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Bermuda

X

X

X

X

X

X

Bhutan

X

Bolivia

X

X

Bosnia-Herzegovina

X

X

Botswana

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Brazil

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Brunei

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Bulgaria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Burundi

X

X

Canada

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Chile

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

China

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Colombia

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Congo

X

Cote D’Ivoire

X

Croatia

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Czech Republic

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Democratic Rep. Congo

X

Denmark

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Djibouti

X

X

Ecuador

X

Egypt

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Eritrea

X

X

Estonia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Ethiopia

X

X

X

X

X

Falkland Islands

X

Fiji

X

X

X

X

X

Finland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

France

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Gabon

X

X

Gambia

X

X

X

X

X

Georgia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Germany

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Ghana

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Greece

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Grenada

X

Yes

Guatemala

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Guyana

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Honduras

X

X

Hong Kong

0

0

0

0

X

X

X

Yes

Hungary

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Iceland

X

X

X

X

India

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Indonesia

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Iraq

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Israel

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Italy

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Jamaica

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Japan

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Jordan

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Kazakhstan

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Kenya

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Korea

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Kuwait

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Kyrgyzstan

X

X

X

X

Yes

Latvia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Lebanon

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Lesotho

X

Libya

X

X

Yes

Lithuania

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Luxembourg

X

X

X

X

X

Macedonia

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Malawi

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Malaysia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Maldives

X

X

Malta

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Mauritania

X

X

Mauritius

X

X

X

X

Mexico

X

X

Moldova

X

X

X

X

X

X

Mongolia

X

Morocco

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Mozambique

X

X

X

X

X

Namibia

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

NATO-Unspecified

X

X

Yes

Nepal

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Netherlands

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

New Zealand

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Nigeria

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Norway

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Oman

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Pakistan

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Palestine

X

X

X

Panama

X

Papua New Guinea

X

X

Paraguay

X

X

Peru

X

X

X

X

Philippines

X

X

X

X

X

X

Poland

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Portugal

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Qatar

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Republic of Ireland

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Romania

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Russia

X

X

X

X

X

X

Rwanda

X

X

X

X

Saudi Arabia

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Senegal

X

X

X

X

X

X

Serbia and Mont. (Inc. Kosovo)

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Seychelles

X

X

X

X

X

X

Sierra Leone

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Singapore

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Slovakia

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Slovenia

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

South Africa

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Spain

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Sri Lanka

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

St. Kitts and Nevis

X

X

Yes

St. Lucia

X

Yes

St. Vincent and The Grenadines

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Sudan

X

X

X

Swaziland

X

Sweden

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Switzerland

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Syria

X

X

X

X

X

X

Tajikistan

X

Tanzania

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Thailand

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Tonga

X

X

X

Trinidad and Tobago

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Tunisia

X

X

X

X

Yes

Turkey

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Turkmenistan

X

Uganda

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Ukraine

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

United Arab Emirates

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

USA

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Uruguay

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Uzbekistan

X

X

X

Venezuela

X

X

Vietnam

X

X

X

X

Yes

Virgin Islands

X

Yes

West Indies-Unspecified

X

X

Yemen

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Yes

Zambia

X

X

X

X

X

Totals

3,242

3,456

4,702

3,361

3,243

3,549

762

Total all years

22,307

1 2005-06 records may include countries invited on courses but not attending (change of database).

2 Agreements encompass both informal understandings and written agreements.

X = indicates forces personnel from that country attended training at UK military establishments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the University Officer Training Corps have on leaving university signed up as (a) regulars and (b) territorials and have then served on a tour of operation in each of the last four years for which figures are available. (145107)

The information requested is not held centrally. Officials are investigating whether it is possible to provide the number of individuals from the University Officer Training Corps who sign up for the Regular and Territorial Army on leaving university and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House. I will write to the hon. Member when investigations have concluded.