For reasons of operational security, the Ministry of Defence does not disclose detailed information regarding the readiness of formations and units. That readiness will be constructed from many components, including training, the preparedness of personnel, and logistic enablers. The speed of deployment would also be dependent on the nature of the threat, capabilities required and geography of deployment.

The British Army maintains the ability to deploy its Challenger 2 main battle tanks throughout Europe, with a number currently deployed in Estonia as part of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence. This is assisted by the Government's announcement last year that a residual Army presence in Germany will be maintained as a foundation on which to enhance readiness on mainland Europe; a number of main battle tanks are already forward based there. Defence is continuing to examine how we might forward deploy Army capability in the future but no conclusions have been reached.

HMS Queen Elizabeth's first operational deployment will be in 2021.

As announced by the Secretary of State, the deployment will include the Pacific region although exact locations and dates for this deployment are yet to be confirmed.

The precise number and mix of vessels, and therefore the number of personnel, would depend on the operational circumstances at the time.

The Carrier Strike capability will continue to be developed with a planned transition to a full operating capability by the end of 2023.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe) on 8 January 2019 in the House of Lords (Official Report, column 2118).

Over the last year, the Royal Navy has continued to meet all their standing commitments, delivering a strong presence at home and globally in protecting our national interests. These include: Continuous at Sea Deterrent; Fleet Ready Escort; Towed Array Patrol Ship; marine enforcement; mine countermeasures support; Atlantic Patrol Tasking North and South; Gibraltar Squadron; operations East of Suez; contributing to the Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) and Standing NATO Response Force; supporting EU and NATO counter-migration operations in the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.

The Royal Navy will continue to take part in a wide range of national and international exercises and deployments in 2018 to ensure that our forces are ready to undertake a range of activities to meet the challenges of an uncertain world. I am withholding the details of future deployments and exercises as release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security and safety of our Armed Forces.

​The INF Treaty is a bilateral Treaty between the US and Russia, so it would be for those States in the first instance to determine any breaches. Iskander is usually regarded as a short-range rather than an intermediate-range missile. The INF Treaty plays a vital role in maintaining Euro-Atlantic security, and we urge Russia to ensure full and verifiable compliance.

We and our NATO Allies monitor closely the deployment of Russian military assets to Kaliningrad. NATO has made clear that Russia should avoid all actions that could destabilise security in its neighbourhood.

Establishment of a British Defence Staff (Gulf) was a 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review commitment. Based at the British Consulate in Dubai, the BDS (Gulf) has already begun its work following the deployment at the end of November of an RAF Wing Commander. She will be joined in spring 2017 by two other officers, an Army Colonel and a Major. The BDS will help co-ordinate British Defence activity in the Gulf, building on the work done by the six Defence Sections in our Gulf Cooperation Countries nation embassies, our 200-plus Loan Service personnel, our short-term training teams, and our liaison and exchange officers across the region. The BDS (Gulf) will be headed by the Defence Senior Adviser Middle East, Lt Gen Tom Beckett, who will remain primarily London-based.

The Challenger 2 is a highly capable Main Battle Tank and sits at the heart of the Army's war fighting Armoured Infantry Brigades and is a key part of the UK's capability. The current Challenger 2 fleet consists of 227 main battle tanks all of which would be available for operational use if required.

The following Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps are equipped with Challenger 2: The King's Royal Hussars, Tidworth; The Queen's Royal Hussars, Germany and The Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth. We do not routinely comment on specific levels of readiness and locations for individual capabilities as to do so would compromise operational security, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

As at May 2016 the Challenger 2 fleet was assessed to meet 100% of the fleet size and deployability requirements as set out in the 2015-16 Army Readiness Order.

When deploying to the Far East Royal Naval vessels would normally have access to the port facility of the nation that they visit during the deployment.

In addition, the United Kingdom operates a jetty and fuel depot at Sembawang in Singapore as part of our commitment to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements.

Any operational constraints are established on a case-by-case basis at the start of an operation. That being said, we are clear that the international right to freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight must be preserved in the Pacific and that all parties should refrain from activities that increase tension, and pursue urgently the settlement of the maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law.

The UK remains concerned about the situation in the South China Sea. We call on all parties to uphold freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight, to refrain from activities that increase tension, and to pursue urgently a settlement of the maritime disputes peacefully in accordance with international law. As a major trading nation that has substantial links with all the nations bordering the South China Sea the UK has a close security interest in the maintenance of regional peace and stability. While we have a limited permanent military presence in the form of the Brunei Garrison and our contribution to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements in Malaysia and Singapore, other than planning for routine exercises and defence engagement tasks. We have made no specific assessment of the circumstances under which we would deploy Armed Forces to the region.

The Ministry of Defence currently has around 4,000 personnel deployed on over 20 overseas operations. These include:

Over 2,300 personnel supporting our Middle Eastern presence, including approximately 770 personnel involved in operations to counter ISIL, with a further 125 deploying shortly.

Around 530 personnel supporting the UK's search and rescue effort in the Mediterranean in response to the migrant crisis.

Around 470 personnel in non-combat roles in Afghanistan.

Over 270 personnel on a variety of operations in Africa, including around 200 personnel deployed for the Ebola crisis.

250 military personnel in support of UN forces in Cyprus.

120 military personnel deployed on NATO Baltic Air Policing.

90 military personnel deployed in Nepal following the recent earthquake.

30 military personnel deployed on capacity building in Mali in support of the EU and UN training missions.

50 military personnel in Ukraine providing training for the Ukranian Armed Forces.

We do not disclose details of all ongoing operations as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans (Anna Soubry) gave on 10 September 2014, (Official Report, column 618W) to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Between 1 December 2011 and 30 November 2014, by operational pinch point trades, those in breach of harmony are as follows:

The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, information is held on the number of personnel in breach of harmony regulations at the beginning of each month. The table below shows numbers in the Naval Service in breach of harmony regulations on 1 April each year from 2008 to 2014.

The information will take time to collate. I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Substantive answer from Mark Francois to Nicholas Soames:

I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question about Royal Air Force personnel currently serving overseas on 25 March 2014 (Official Report, column 180W).

Following further investigation a full and accurate response to this question could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

However, details of Royal Air Force personnel located overseas are published in the Ministry of Defence Quarterly Location Statistics table 1.1b (UK Regular Forces by Country) showing the position as at 1 January 2014. Copies of the Quarterly Location Statistics are available in the Library of the House. These figures can also be found on the following Defence Statistics website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/location-of-uk-regular-service-and-civilian-personnel-quarterly-statistics-2014

The information will take time to collate. I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as it is available.

The Royal Navy has a range of assets available at various states of readiness. We do not release information on the readiness levels of these units on the basis of safeguarding national security.

The Royal Navy has no standing requirement to station a vessel permanently on duty in the Asia Pacific Region. Should there be a requirement, such as the deployment of HMS Daring and HMS Illustrious to the Philippines to support the disaster relief effort, the Royal Navy has a contingent capability to deploy to this region. HMS Daring also took part in the Royal Australian Navy's 100^th Anniversary and a number of training opportunities in the Far East.