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.

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.