Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea on shipping through the Suez Canal.

Overall, the volume of ships passing through the Suez Canal has significantly decreased because of the reckless actions of the Houthis in the Red Sea. PORTWATCH report that the number of commercial ships passing through the Suez Canal has fallen by 45 per cent year-on-year this month (February 2024).

Larger commercial vessels have been more likely to divert around the Cape of Good Hope than smaller vessels and so the volume has fallen further. Diverting around the Cape of Good Hope adds at least 10 days to a journey from Asia to Europe, and over 15 per cent to shipping costs.