Strait of Hormuz: Merchant Shipping

Lord Bellingham Excerpts

Monday 20th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

The reassurance that I can give to the noble Baroness and to the people she knows is this. I can talk about the Ministry of Defence. Meetings have taken place across government, but I personally have met virtually every week with either defence attachés or the ambassadors from the region to talk to them. We have responded to their requests for help and support with respect to their own countries. Doing that helps to support the defence of our own personnel, whether that be people who are living there or our own Armed Forces personnel. I hope that gives the noble Baroness some reassurance that there is continued discussion with and involvement of the ambassadors, reflecting the opinions of their Governments. That is an important way in which we have tried to reassure not only the region but our people there as well.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, to add to an already very serious situation, is the Minister aware that the Houthis have now launched a naval blockade against the Saudis? What assessment has his department made of the impact that will have on not just Saudi maritime traffic but wider maritime traffic, including our own vessels?

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes an important point. That takes us to the other side of the situation, and the so-called Bab strait, which is a narrow strait on the other side—the western side, if you like—of where we are talking about, rather than the Strait of Hormuz. All I can say is that we keep these things under review and an assessment is currently being made, as I understand it, of the perceived or current threat, and what we may or may not need to do about that.