Found: Judith Cummins MP (Chair) Michael Berry (Lords) Simon Burton Chris Elliott (Commons) Lord Collins of Highbury

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 June (HL6901), what specific criteria were applied, and by whom, to ensure that the gift of a sports club to the Royal Navy from the King of Bahrain did not compromise British independence in the region.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government takes the safeguarding of UK operational independence and sovereign interests extremely seriously. In the case of the sports facility generously gifted by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa to the Royal Navy, the Ministry of Defence fully considered the offer and found no cause of concern. The facility is located within the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and remains under full UK operational control. It is intended solely for the welfare and morale of UK service personnel stationed in the region.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 June (HL6901), whether any minister was informed of the gift of a sports club to the Royal Navy from the King of Bahrain, and if so, which minister and on what date; and whether any minister approved this gift, and if so, which minister and on what date.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We can confirm the Secretary of State for Defence was notified in 2021, of the generous offer for a sports facility to the Royal Navy by His Majesty the King of Bahrain and gave approval. The facility was completed earlier this year in 2025 and remains under full UK operational control and is used solely for the welfare of UK service personnel stationed in Bahrain.