Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty.

His Majesty's Government has noted the withdrawal of Finland, Estonia and Poland from the Ottawa Convention. The UK acknowledges and shares concerns about the security environment in the region as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. We also acknowledge that it is the sovereign right of those countries to make this decision. The UK will continue to work to mitigate impacts on vital arms control and disarmament norms, while continuing to engage bilaterally on the actions those States plan to take following their withdrawal.

As a State Party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (also known as the Ottawa Convention), the UK remains committed to the Convention.