Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Sudan Conflict

Monday 15 May 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department deployed UK military assets to evacuate over 2400 people from Sudan.
  • Stranded British citizens in unstable states face challenges in accessing communications infrastructure.
  • The RAF was praised for evacuating over 2500 people from over 24 countries under dangerous conditions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Flick Drummond Con
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

The question is prompted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the need for a coordinated government response.

Question

What steps has the Department taken to support the Government's response to the conflict in Sudan?

Answer from Ben Wallace

Defence was pivotal in the success of the wider Government effort to evacuate British passport holders and other eligible persons from Sudan. A range of UK military assets and capabilities were deployed, resulting in the evacuation of more than 2,400 people—the longest and largest evacuation of any western nation.

Answered
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Q2 Edward Timpson Con
Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

A constituent of the questioner was unable to receive instructions from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office due to internet outages in Sudan.

Question

What can His Majesty's Government do to help improve awareness of and communications with stranded British citizens in potentially unstable states?

Answer from Ben Wallace

My hon. and learned Friend raises an important point, but not an easy issue to solve. In Sudan, we were seeing less than single digit percentage coverage of or access to the internet at any one time, in the middle of effectively a civil war. For Defence, it is an easier thing to solve, as we bring our own communications with us.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Concrete steps for communication improvement were not specified.

How: Not An Easy Issue To Solve

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Q3 Flick Drummond Con
Defence
Context

The questioner acknowledges the work done by the Royal Air Force during the evacuation.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend join me in congratulating the RAF on the work it did in Sudan, evacuating more than 2,500 people from over 24 countries under very dangerous circumstances?

Answer from Ben Wallace

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the RAF. To fly into an airfield with unsure conditions, often in the dark and without much of an advance recce is some achievement. Alongside the RAF, a specialist unit from 16 Air Assault Brigade flew in and helped to fix the runway.

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Q4 Emma Lewell Lab South Shields
Defence
Context

Concerns about the reliability and capability of the Atlas aircraft used in evacuations.

Question

Has the Secretary of State not made a mistake in pressing ahead with ditching the Hercules fleet?

Answer from Ben Wallace

I have heard these tired arguments that what we need to do is keep the Herc and get rid of the A400. The A400 outperforms the Herc in most areas. It has a longer ranger and a bigger capacity, and it can land in the same area; in fact, it can land in a shorter distance.

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Q5 John Spellar Lab
Defence
Context

Concerns about coordination between Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office during evacuations.

Question

Can we have a stronger role for the MOD in the machinery of government, so that we get the can-do attitude of the MOD?

Answer from Ben Wallace

I can do, by helping the right hon. Gentleman ensure that the resilience of the whole of government is supported by the MOD. There are definitely lessons to be learned, and I will ensure that they are taken away and shared across Government.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures not detailed.

How: Lessons To Be Learned

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