Speculation surrounding security in Libya continues to be covered in today’s media. Also appearing is reporting on social media guidelines for Royal Navy canteens and coverage of a former Special Forces soldier who has been jailed for possessing firearms.
Libya
The Times, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, The Sun and The Guardian report that Britain is prepared to send troops to Libya to bolster the country against Daesh and comment on whether Parliamentary approval will be sought.
This follows a visit to Libya by the Foreign Secretary and a Ministry of Defence (MOD) Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) published on the War Powers Convention. The WMS sets out that the Government remains committed to the convention that sees parliament debate and vote before the deployment of troops in a combat role - but that it has decided not to codify it in law in order to ensure the ability of our Armed Forces to act quickly and decisively, to avoid such decision becoming subject to legal action.
The Times article wrongly claims that the UK would deploy troops in a combat role without the approval of Parliament. During Defence Questions in the House of Commons yesterday the Defence Secretary specifically confirmed that approval would be sought from Parliament before forces are deployed on combat operations:
The written answer published today makes very clear the circumstances in which we would of course come back to Parliament for its approval. We will keep Parliament informed and we will of course seek its approval before deploying British forces in combat roles into a conflict situation.
The articles reference comments from the Foreign Secretary that MPs need not be given a vote on whether British troops should be deployed on a training rather than combat mission and report on the visit to Tripoli in which he offered £10m in support of the new government of national accord (GNA), saying the UK stands ready to help train Libyan state institutions. This is not a new position – it reflects the Convention.
To read the Written Ministerial Statement from the Defence Secretary to Parliament in full please click here.
Migration
Reference is made in the Daily Mail and The Times to the Defence Secretary’s attendance of an EU leaders’ meeting in Luxembourg last night where he was reportedly raising the possibility of expanding NATO’s mission tackling the migrant situation in the Aegean to Libyan waters.
Speaking on arrival at the meeting last night Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
We need to use our navies to build up a better intelligence picture of the smuggling, to stop the smuggling routes and to work closely with NATO to make sure that we can help the Libyan coastguard build up the capacity it needs to put an end to this very dangerous voyage.
The Times reports that Philip Hammond put pressure on the newly installed Libyan prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj, to accept security assistance, including opening the country’s territorial waters to the EU’s anti-people-smuggling mission.
Royal Navy Food
There is reporting about complaints from personnel at HMS Sultan and other naval sites on complaints on the quality of food that they are served in The Times and Daily Telegraph.
Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans Mark Lancaster when asked about the subject in Defence Questions yesterday said:
Defence personnel are offered core meals covering breakfast, lunch and dinner with set calorific and nutritional standards, and this includes unlimited access to carbohydrates and vegetables. Personally I've not experienced a poor standard of food, however, the normal process is for there to be a complaint via the chain of command although I'm more than happy to look into the matter.
Army Cadet Abuse
The Times, Daily Mail and The Sun report that Private Jack Burnett has been given an eight-month suspended sentence, put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and could be expelled from the Army after being found guilty of having sex with an underage cadet and getting another schoolgirl pregnant. Articles state that he arranged a camping trip with the girl while on leave last June.
An Army Spokesperson said:
All those who are found to fall short of the Army’s high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act are dealt with administratively up to and including dismissal or through the disciplinary process, as applicable.
DSEI
The Independent reports that MPs will investigate allegations of illegal weapons sales at DSEI in London last year. The article states that The House of Commons Committee on Arms Export Control will look into allegations which a judge said were not appropriately investigated by the authorities.
Interserve
The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and Daily Express report that Interserve has landed a £230m contract to manage the US Air Force’s property estate in Britain including RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
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