Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make a statement on the recent ministerial visit to Yemen.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I updated the House on my visit to Yemen in November in my oral statement on 5 January, and my responses to oral questions on 20 January.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with Yemeni community groups on the cessation of pension payments to Yemeni steelworkers.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We recognise the tragic conflict in Yemen is hindering the normal means of administrating pensions for those based abroad. In May 2025, I held a meeting with several Members of Parliament who represent Yemeni pensioners facing challenges receiving their State Pension payments. Since then, we have supported individual cases and taken steps to support pensioners living in Yemen.
Previously, officials met community leaders in 2022.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will take steps to reinstate the pensions of Yemeni steelworkers who worked in Britain.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Pension payments to Yemen are being disrupted due to banking and currency issues, war, international sanctions and some issues over verification of identity. We are looking at ways to ensure payments are completed.
Our dedicated Yemen telephone number can be found on GOV.UK ( International Pension Centre - GOV.UK) and includes a Yemen-Arabic language translation as part of the opening message and we provide callback and translation services. We urge anyone who is having issues with their State Pension to contact us via this dedicated helpline.
Additionally, the Department is working with the Yemeni banks to enable payments in different currencies in order to get payments to the intended recipients.
Asked by: Sarah Coombes (Labour - West Bromwich)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people she estimates have been impacted by the cessation of pension payments to Yemeni steelworkers who worked in Britani.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are unable to identify which State Pension claimants are ex-steelworkers and therefore unable to provide any estimate of the number of people whose payment has stopped.
As of May 2025, there are 832 State Pension recipients in the Yemen.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Southern Transitional Council’s aim to hold a referendum on independence in the coming years.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, where I set out the UK's position in relation to the recent tensions in Southern Yemen. I will provide further such updates in due course as necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the recent military tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen, and their potential impact on regional security.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, where I set out the UK's position in relation to the recent tensions in Southern Yemen. I will provide further such updates in due course as necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has engaged with the UN or Gulf partners on the escalation in southern Yemen between Saudi and Emirati-aligned forces.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, where I set out the UK's position in relation to the recent tensions in Southern Yemen. I will provide further such updates in due course as necessary.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what implications have heightened tensions in Yemen had to the free flow of trade through the Suez Canal and Red Sea.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, where I set out the UK's position in relation to the recent tensions in Southern Yemen. I will provide further such updates in due course as necessary.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that financial aid to a) Yemen, b) Nigeria, c) Sudan and d) Palestine is not provided to proscribed terrorist organisations.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) conducts background checks and risk assessment of the UK's aid partners, and continually monitors all funding programmes to make sure money is spent as intended. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact reviewed the FCDO's system for managing aid in 2023, including the mandatory rules for FCDO programmes, calling it a credible and appropriate framework.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 68798 on Yemen: Military Intervention, whether his Department maintains its Tracker database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law with regards to arms sales to the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK maintained a database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by members of the Saudi Led Coalition in Yemen, including the United Arab Emirates. As the Coalition no longer operates in Yemen and there have been no new allegations, I can confirm this record is no longer maintained.