Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made a recent assessment of the effect of arms sales to Saudi Arabia on development and humanitarian outcomes in Yemen; and if she will make a statement.

We welcome the recent judgment by the High Court in favour of the Government on UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which underscores the fact that the UK operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world. We will continue to keep our defence exports under careful review to ensure they meet the rigorous standards of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

The UN assesses Yemen to be the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Nearly 21 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. DFID’s support of £155 million for 2017-8 will feed 1.8 million people for at least a month, and provide 1.7 million people with nutrition support and an expected 1.2 million people with clean water and sanitation. We continue to strongly support the work of the UN’s Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, to end the conflict and bring about peace.