Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Yemen.

The Saudi-led Coalition continues to seek to reinstate the legitimate government in Yemen and defend its own southern border against artillery and missile strikes by Houthi forces and those allied to former President Saleh. The conflict sees skirmishes and sporadic fighting in a number of areas in western Yemen, including along the Saudi border, around Midi, north east of Sana'a and in the vicinity of Sirwah. We remain concerned by the ability of terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda and Daesh to exploit ungoverned spaces in Yemen. The conflict has also resulted in security threats to international shipping in the Bab-el-Mandeb. Reinstating peace talks remains the top priority: a political solution is the best way to bring stability to Yemen and address the worsening humanitarian crisis. The UK continues to play a leading role in international efforts to achieve this goal. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith to find a political solution to end the conflict.