SOMALIA
Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel are attached to Headquarter Operation Atlanta; and what the (a) rank and (b) duty is of each such person. [126438]
Mr Robathan, Minister of State, Ministry of Defence [holding answer 2 November 2012]: Forty nine UK service personnel are currently attached to the Operational Headquarters of the EU's Operation Atalanta. The military personnel by rank and roles are shown in the following table. I am withholding the actual number of personnel at each rank as it contains personal data which cannot be released.
| Rank | Roles |
| Rear Admiral | Operational Commander |
| Captain | Command Support |
| Commander | Command Support, Liaison |
| Squadron Leader | Operations |
| Lieutenant Commander | Operations, Intelligence, Command Support, Media Officer |
| Major | Media Officer, Command Support |
| Lieutenant | Legal Advisor, Command Support, Communications Support, Medical Support, Logistics Support |
| Warrant Officer | Communications Support |
| Chief Petty Officer | Engineer |
| Petty Officer | Operations, Analysts, Information Support, Clerks, Command Support |
| Leading Hand | Operations, Information Support, Communications Support, Intelligence |
| Lance Corporal | Analyst |
| Senior Aircraftman | Communications Support |
| Able Seamen | Personal Assistants, Clerks, Communications Support, Analysts |