Foreign aid millions could fund 2 hospital ships in crisis zones
TENS of millions of pounds in foreign aid money could be used to build ships to provide humanitarian relief – and help the Royal Navy. International Penny Mordaunt Development believes Secretary this dual role will quell concerns about Britain annual £14billion foreign aid budget.
Critics often claim it is used to help nations wealthy enough to run their own space programmes, such as India and China.
However, Miss Mordaunt claims the vessels’ dual role – by assisting in military operations when they are not needed as hospital ships in disaster zones – will allay those fears.
In addition, the ships could even be used to host trade missions and promote Britain to the world, much like the Royal Yacht Britannia did before it was decommissioned in 1997.
The scheme would be the most ambitious use of the aid budget in helping Britain’s overstretched Armed Forces.
In a letter to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, a copy of which has been seen by the Daily Mail, former Armed Forces minister Miss Mordaunt said the ships could take the place in crises around the globe of Navy vessels, such as the RFA Mounts Bay, which has been stationed in the Caribbean during the hurricane season.
She added: ‘ We should also explore how this could support our military capabilities [and] take pressure off a stretched fleet.’ Miss Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, is pushing for Treasury approval for her plan, having established a joint working group with the Ministry of Defence to increase co- operation with her department. She told Mr Williamson the two departments have ‘an opportunity to think more radically and entrepreneurially about what could be delivered’, adding: ‘I am committed to demonstrating how UK aid and the Armed Forces can work closely together to achieve the best outcomes for the UK, and, as we approach the next spending review, that we are ensuring we are using our budgets in the smartest way possible.’
She said the vessels ‘could pro- vide further presence in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean’.
Department for International Development sources said officials believed that international rules would allow aid money to provide a ‘substantial’ share of the cost of the vessels, although the rest of the bill would have to be picked up by other departments.
Aid money could also be used to pay for the running costs, except during operations with no development link.
In her letter, the International Development Secretary said aid money ‘could certainly be part of the funding for this’, adding: ‘I believe there is considerable interest from the private sector in supporting such a venture.’
Royal Navy vessels have been repeatedly called in to help with humanitarian disasters. But tight international rules on aid spending mean much of the cost cannot be recouped. One source said the Ministry of Defence received just £5million towards its costs in assisting with the fallout from Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean in 2017 when the Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Ocean was deployed. Under Miss Mordaunt’s plans, the new vessels would be fitted out to have the capability to act as hospital ships to help deal with casualties following natural disasters. They could also be used as a ‘forward operating base’ for aid workers, as well as delivering humanitarian aid. When not needed for disaster relief or by the Royal Navy, the vessels could be used as part of trade missions. Miss Mordaunt said the initiative could ‘build on our efforts to promote UK businesses overseas’.
‘Using budgets in the smartest way’