Middle East

Lord Forbes of Newcastle Excerpts

Thursday 19th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

On the comments about the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia, we all have a duty, across political parties, to ensure that we focus on greater community cohesion. That is fundamental, because there is no doubt that there has been an increase in both Islamophobia and antisemitism, and we need to address that. My noble friends across Whitehall have been working on how we can work across government to deal with that issue. The idea of discussions is something that the usual channels could look at; it is certainly worthy of consideration.

The noble Lord discussed Yemen. We have seen a huge humanitarian crisis there as a consequence of the actions of the parties, particularly the Houthis. We constantly review the situation and work with our allies: we have had discussions with Saudi Arabia in particular, but our focus at the moment is on the whole region. This conflict is destabilising the whole region; we need to ensure that we give support to our allies so that they can defend their position.

[Lord Forbes of Newcastle (Lab)]

My Lords, I congratulate the Government on avoiding the pull towards an illegal and pointless conflict in the Middle East, despite the pressure brought to bear from some national and international corners. We have heard much about the impact of the conflict on oil and gas supplies. What we have not talked about quite so much has been the impact on our diplomatic efforts in the region, and no doubt there will have been a large impact and much disruption to those diplomatic matters. Your Lordships’ House has heard and asked questions in previous weeks about the conditions for Craig and Lindsay Foreman, the two Brits jailed in Tehran a few weeks ago, just before the conflict began. Can my noble friend the Minister update us on the diplomatic efforts that are continuing to be made to secure their safety, security, health and ultimate release, despite the devastating impact of the conflict on the usual diplomatic channels?

[Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend. The noble Earl raised the Foremans in his contribution and I responded by saying that we are making every effort through our consular services and maintaining that diplomatic link. My noble friend is right to focus on the importance of diplomacy. We talk about the need for defence and for ensuring that our allies have the appropriate support, but the sort of dialogue that we have been engaged in is vital, and we will continue to do that. Our thoughts are very much with the Foremans and with their family. It must be incredibly concerning to be in this situation, and we are making all efforts to provide consular support and make representations to ensure their release.