To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Military Aid to the Civil Authorities requests have been received for assistance on operations in the English Channel in the last 12 months.

Defence has collaborated with the Home Office on countering illegal migration issues in the English Channel for over a year. Defence has provided a range of support including the provision of surveillance, planning expertise, and assisting in the delivery of trials of novel tactics which could help the Border Force and Home Office better interdict and deter migrant vessels. This has currently amounted to four requests under the mechanism of Military Aid to the Civilian Authority during 2021.