Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in the context of the recent report of the International Committee of the Red Cross outlining the risks to civilians of urban airstrikes, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to restrict the use of wide area effect explosive weapons in urban areas.

Restricting the use of explosive weapons in urban areas beyond the clear and robust framework that International Humanitarian Law already sets would reduce the UK's ability to operate legitimately and responsibly, potentially putting our operations or personnel at risk. We will continue to be actively involved in the political declaration process and assess the merits of the text once its final form is known.