Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) the United Arab Emirates, (c) Oman and (d) Jordan on the naval protection force in the Red Sea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working with allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea. The UK takes threats to shipping vessels in the Red Sea extremely seriously.
Britain joined the US and others in Operation Prosperity Guardian - an international naval force to deter mounting Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. This coalition bolsters international efforts to keep open one of the world's most important waterways. Royal Navy Destroyer, HMS Diamond, is a part of this coalition and has already been involved in action to protect shipping from Houthi threats on 16 December and 9 January. HMS Diamond was first targeted by a Houthi attack on 9 January.
The Foreign Secretary has discussed developments in the Red Sea with key interlocutors from Saudi Arabia (14 December), UAE (16 December & 12 January), and Oman on the weekend (31 December). The Defence Secretary also recently spoke with Yemeni President Alimi (21 December) and Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman (21 December).
We continue to pursue all diplomatic routes.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in (a) Egypt, (b) Sudan, (c) Saudi Arabia and (d) Yemen on maritime security in the Red Sea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working with allies and partners to safeguard maritime security and navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea. The UK takes threats to shipping vessels in the Red Sea extremely seriously.
The Foreign Secretary has recently discussed the Red Sea and other matters with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Defence Secretary also recently spoke with Yemeni President Alimi and Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman, and Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad, recently spoke with Yemeni Foreign Minister Mubarak.
Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry these illegal and unjustified attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships from 9 January. Consequently, on 11 January, we took limited, necessary, proportionate, and legal action in self-defence to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.
We continue to pursue all diplomatic routes.
Asked by: Apsana Begum (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) civilians, (b) women and (c) children that have been killed in Sudan since April 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Humanitarian organisations estimate that over 12,000 people have been killed and over 32,000 people have been injured since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023. This is likely to be an underestimate, due to considerable access constraints for humanitarian organisations, which makes accurate casualty reporting challenging. The UK continues to work with Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US, UK), regional partners, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN to bring the warring parties together and secure an end to hostilities and unfettered humanitarian access.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many UK nationals have requested consular assistance in Yemen in each of the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia provides remote consular support to British Nationals in Yemen. Prior to October 2023, our case management system did not enable us to isolate all consular assistance cases from within Yemen. Since October 2023 we can confirm that we have provided assistance to fewer than five British Nationals. British Nationals planning to visit or already in Yemen can visit the FCDO travel advice pages for Yemen and sign up to email alerts.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their understanding of the political, security and humanitarian situation in Sudan following the indefinite suspension on 5 December of peace talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which had been taking place in Jeddah; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to persuade both sides in the conflict to return to negotiations.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the ongoing hostilities in Sudan in the strongest terms. The human cost of the conflict is high, with atrocities being committed, a serious lack of humanitarian access and disregard for civilian life. The Jeddah talks, hosted by the United States and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have now ended following ongoing disagreements between the warring parties. Alongside our international partners, we continue to support mediation efforts, such as those of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and urge both warring parties to engage constructively to secure a ceasefires and improvements in humanitarian access.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Gulf states on revitalising security and diplomatic arrangements with Israel after the Israel-Hamas War.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a supporter of Israel's normalisation ambitions; and of the Abraham Accords, an historic milestone that bring us closer to the goal of shared prosperity and peace throughout the region. We continue to encourage close regional cooperation, and the need to work towards ending the war between Israel and Hamas, and to secure sustainable peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians through he delivery of the Two State Solution. We are continuing intensive engagement with Gulf states, bilaterally and in November, the former Foreign Secretary met seven Arab League Foreign Ministers in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary and I hosted Foreign Ministers from the OIC in London including 5 Arab states.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last held discussions on the future of Gaza with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia and (2) Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to engage regularly with counterparts from both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Prime Minister last met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Mohammed bin Salman, on 19 October in Riyadh, and the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi on 01 December, in the margins of COP 28. The Foreign Secretary last met with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Faisal bin Farhad Al Saud, on 14 December in London. The Foreign Secretary and I as the Minister for the Middle East met with President Sisi and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry, during our regional visit 20-21 December. In all engagements UK Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have reiterated the Government's position: we support a two-state solution that guarantees security, justice and stability for both the Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the allocated budget under the Gulf Strategy Fund for (1) Saudi Arabia, (2) Bahrain, and (3) the United Arab Emirates, for 2023–2024.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The present country allocation from the Gulf Strategy Fund for Saudi Arabia is £2,345,000, Bahrain £1,475,000 and the United Arab Emirates £1,173,000.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the position of the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states in relation to the recently attempted Sudan peace talks in Djibouti.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports African-led efforts to seek peace and stability within Sudan, including the mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). We welcome the IGAD Summit on 9 December where members called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The UK continues to work with Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US, UK), regional partners, IGAD, the African Union and the UN to bring the warring parties together and secure an end to hostilities, unfettered humanitarian access and ensure the protection of civilians.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the role of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development as a broker in the recently attempted Sudan peace talks in Djibouti.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supports African-led efforts to seek peace and stability within Sudan, including the mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). We welcome the IGAD Summit on 9 December where members called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The UK continues to work with Quad countries (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, US, UK), regional partners, IGAD, the African Union and the UN to bring the warring parties together and secure an end to hostilities, unfettered humanitarian access and ensure the protection of civilians.