Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the sale of a second tranche of Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

This Government recognises fully the potential benefits of securing future export orders for Typhoon aircraft. In respect of Saudi Arabia, Ministers and officials are in regular contact with their counterparts to discuss how the UK might help meet that nation's legitimate defence and security requirements. These discussions have included a potential second batch order for Typhoon aircraft.