The UK is sending 250 soldiers to Mali to join the UN peacekeeping mission in 2020. Mali faces considerable political, security and governance challenges, compounded by a military coup in August 2020. This Commons Library briefing paper looks at the deployment and the situation in Mali.
Documents to download
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Privatisation of RAF/Royal Navy Search and Rescue (167 KB, PDF)
The Joint SAR-H (Search and Rescue Harmonisation) project was established in 2005 to replace the search and rescue helicopter capabilities in the UK currently provided by the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. That project envisaged the creation of a single SAR entity that would comprise a mix of civilian and military personnel; while all of the airframes would form part of a commercially owned and registered fleet.
The Soteria consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder for the project in February 2010. However, the project was suspended in June 2010 following a Treasury review of the Government’s major spending projects. An announcement on proceeding with the project had been expected in December 2010. The Government subsequently confirmed that the project would be delayed while issues relating to the bidding process were clarified.
On 8 February 2011 the Government announced that the SAR-H contract had been cancelled after it emerged that irregularities had arisen in the bidding process relating to the consortium that had gone on to win the competition.
After a period of assessment, the Government announced on 28 November 2011 that a new civilian operated search and rescue capability would be established and that military involvement in search and rescue would cease once that capability becomes fully operational.
Documents to download
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Privatisation of RAF/Royal Navy Search and Rescue (167 KB, PDF)
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The Government presented the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill on 18 March 2020, thereby meeting its 100-day self imposed deadline. Second Reading has been scheduled for 23 September 2020. Aspects of the Bill are already generating controversy.
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A general debate on ‘The situation in Yemen’ has been scheduled for Thursday 24 September 2020 in the Main Chamber. This debate was selected by the Backbench Business Committee.
