Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has spoken to the prime minister-designate of Lebanon, Mustapha Adib, since his appointment; and if so, (1) when, and (2)  whether concrete British assistance to rebuild the country was discussed.

The UK is a long-standing friend of Lebanon and the Lebanese people. In the aftermath of the terrible explosion in Beirut, the UK has been one of the biggest donors to the crisis, committing £25 million overall in UK aid. In August we sent HMS Enterprise to survey damage to Beirut Port so that reconstruction work can urgently begin. The Foreign Secretary spoke to then PM Hassan Diab on 5 August to discuss UK assistance, and the Prime Minister spoke to President Aoun on 8 August. We engage regularly with the full range of Lebanese leaders and will maintain a regular dialogue with Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib.