Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the new defence co-operation arrangements with Bahrain differ from the previous arrangements.

The arrangement signed in December 2014 supports our existing agreements with Bahrain, comprising three extant Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering issues such as Status of Forces, Defence Equipment Cooperation, Exercises and Training. The key MOU was signed in the run up to the first Gulf War. This was principally about facilitating the movement of UK forces through Bahrain including making facilities available for UK forces; this continues to the present day with the hosting of the UK Maritime Component Commander and basing of UK minehunters on operations in the Gulf. The UK/Bahrain high level Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation which was signed in 1971 remains in force.