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MoD Spending On Foreign Training Doubled Over Four Years

Ministry of Defence (MoD) spending on training foreign forces has more than doubled in four years, new figures reveal.

Defence chiefs spent £27.3 million last year from the "defence assistance fund", offering training and education to foreign forces.

The programme is set to reach 116 countries this year.

The MoD says the money provides practical help to the nations concerned as well as helping to meet the UK's security objectives.

However, the programme has faced criticism given concerns over the human rights records of some of the countries receiving training.

It also comes at a time of extreme pressure on the defence budget, with defence assistance fund spending having risen from £12.3 million in 2012/13.

The figure rose to £15.6 million the following year, £16.6 million in 2014/15 and £21.2 million in 2015/16.

Shadow Treasury minister Peter Dowd, who obtained the figures through a written parliamentary question, said:

"The statistics released clearly show that the Government has increased the amount of money it is spending on training and educating foreign military personnel."

"While the Ministry of Defence continues to shroud the defence assistance fund in a veil of secrecy and have failed to release further information over who the British Government is educating and providing military training to."

The defence assistance fund supports a variety of training and education for international officials and military personnel.

Last month the UK stopped providing educational courses to the Burmese military, in light of concerns over violence and human rights abuses.

Figures released to Parliament show £305,725 was spent on this training in 2016/17, with £682,185 spent over the past four years overall.

There are around 125 UK Armed Forces personnel based in Saudi Arabia, who are delivering training the MoD believes helps the Saudi-led coalition's targeting processes and supports its compliance with international humanitarian law.

Plus more than 600 British soldiers are on the ground in Iraq helping to train that country's forces.

Responding to Mr Dowd, defence minister Mark Lancaster said:

"The MoD's defence assistance fund supports a variety of defence engagement activities designed to provide practical help and assistance to the nations concerned, at the same time contributing to the UK's own security objectives, including by developing defence relations and increasing UK influence.