Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) ensure good relations with countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council and (b) encourage investment from such countries in the UK economy.

The UK's partnerships with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are historic and enduring. These are underpinned by shared prosperity, security interests and deep people-to-people links. This government has committed to deepening cooperation with the Gulf. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have had early engagement with all six of their Gulf counterparts.

We have resumed negotiations on the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement and are working closely with Gulf partners to boost trade and investment ties.