Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of Iran’s non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than ever, and is continuing to worsen. This includes producing Highly Enriched Uranium which is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. Iran's nuclear escalation is threatening international security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
We have reached the end of talks in Vienna to restore the nuclear deal. There is a viable deal on the table which would return Iran to compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments, and return the US to the deal. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will collapse the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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 international peace and security of Iran achieving nuclear breakout.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than ever, and is continuing to worsen. This includes producing Highly Enriched Uranium which is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme. Iran's nuclear escalation is threatening international security and undermining the global non-proliferation system.
We have reached the end of talks in Vienna to restore the nuclear deal. There is a viable deal on the table which would return Iran to compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments, and return the US to the deal. If Iran fails to conclude the deal its nuclear escalation will collapse the JCPoA. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
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 help ensure the security of (a) Israel, (b) the United Arab Emirates, (c) Saudi Arabia and (d) Bahrain if Iran achieves nuclear weapons capability.
Answered by Amanda Milling
We continue to have regular discussions with a range of regional and international partners, including Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and Iran's nuclear escalation. We are clear that our priority is to see Iran return to compliance with its commitments and the US to return to the deal. Our commitment to the security of our allies is unwavering. The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran abides by international laws and norms and is held to account for its destabilising activity in the region.
It is for this reason that we currently have over 200 sanctions designations in place against Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety, and support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons to non-state actors in the region, including to Lebanese Hizballah (UNSCR 1701) and the Houthis in Yemen (UNSCR 2216).
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of recent terrorist attacks in the UAE, whether she plans to take steps to encourage international partners to designate or proscribe the Houthi’s as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Home Secretary
The UK condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on the UAE on 17 and 24 January. We are in close contact with our Emirati partners and continue to offer our support. We share concerns about the Houthis' continual attacks on civilians in Yemen and cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We keep the use of sanctions under close review and supported the UN Security Council's sanctioning of four Houthi individuals in 2021.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the IAEA Director General reportedly stating that the JCPOA nuclear deal signed in 2015 is no longer applicable to the current state of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Home Secretary
Iran has been in non-compliance with its Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) commitments since 2019 and its nuclear programme is more advanced now than it has ever been.
We strongly urge Iran to halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in the current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. The JCPoA is not perfect but it currently represents the only framework for monitoring and constraining Iran's nuclear programme. The diplomatic door is firmly open to Iran to conclude a deal, and there is a fair and comprehensive offer on the table which would benefit the Iranian people and economy. Iran's nuclear escalation means we have weeks, not months, to restore the deal before the JCPoA's core non-proliferation benefits are lost and the deal collapses.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential (a) global and (b) regional effects of Iran’s activities in (a) Iraq, (b) Lebanon, (c) Syria and (d) Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Home Secretary
The government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. The UK regularly engages with partners in the region on Iran, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Most recently, on 20 December the Foreign Secretary hosted representatives from the Gulf Co-operation Council, including those three states, at Chevening. Iran's nuclear programme and its destabilising regional activity were discussed.
We regularly discuss our concerns at Iran's nuclear escalation with our partners. Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than it has ever been and is undermining regional and international security. We are clear that Iran should halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Bahrain, (b) Saudi Arabia and (c) United Arab Emirates on the strategic challenges posed by Iran’s (a) nuclear programme and (b) support for terror groups.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Home Secretary
The government regularly assesses the impact of Iran's continued destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. The UK regularly engages with partners in the region on Iran, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Most recently, on 20 December the Foreign Secretary hosted representatives from the Gulf Co-operation Council, including those three states, at Chevening. Iran's nuclear programme and its destabilising regional activity were discussed.
We regularly discuss our concerns at Iran's nuclear escalation with our partners. Iran's nuclear programme is more advanced than it has ever been and is undermining regional and international security. We are clear that Iran should halt all activities in violation of the JCPoA without delay and to seize the opportunity in front of them in current JCPoA Vienna negotiations to restore the nuclear deal. If a deal is not swiftly concluded, Iran will be responsible for missing the opportunity to restore the JCPoA and for bringing about the collapse of the deal. In this scenario, we would carefully consider all the options in partnership with our allies.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Conservative - Newark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent progress has been made on negotiating the Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Swire
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) offers an enormous economic prize, worth up to £400 for each household in the UK through lower prices, and £10bn to our economy as a whole in jobs and investment. The eighth negotiating round will be held later this year. We are making progress and our ambition remains to agree a deal next year.