Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made to offload oil from the decaying FSO Safer tanker since a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UN and the Houthis in Yemen; whether there is a timeline for the work to be completed; and what plans exist for dealing with the tanker afterwards.

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to resolve the SAFER issue through provision of a replacement vessel that would reduce the risk of a leak. We have already contributed £2.5 million towards the UN initiative and are coordinating with partners to expedite the mission. We are also working with the UN to put in place detailed contingency plans in the event a spill occurs.