Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of Saudi Arabia's omission from Operation Prosperity Guardian on the UK's relation with that country.

Maritime security features in our discussions with all of our Gulf partners, including Saudi Arabia, which plays a central role in the region, and with which the UK has a strategic relationship. The Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary have been in regular contact with their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks, and explained why the UK joined with other allies in Operation Prosperity Guardian, in response to sustained Houthi attacks on international shipping. The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia both have a shared interest in supporting the UN-led peace process in Yemen and working towards a sustainable long term political settlement in Yemen.