Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the full scope of Operation CROSSWAYS.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The scope of Operation CROSSWAYS is to provide military support to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, primarily focused on training and tailored military advice to the Saudi armed forces. It also includes a phased deployment of air defence equipment to Saudi Arabia.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 4 July (HL8923), whether the Prime Minister has discussed human rights issues with his equivalent or other senior political office holders in (1) Bahrain, (2) Saudi Arabia, (3) Oman, and (4) the United Arab Emirates, since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The content of such discussions are published in read-outs under the News and Communications page on gov.uk. Summaries of the most recent of such readouts are provided below.
Bahrain
The Prime Minister welcomed His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain to Downing Street today.
The leaders reflected on the strength of the UK-Bahrain relationship, and welcomed the UK becoming a full member of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) today. The agreement will deepen trilateral cooperation with Bahrain and the United States on regional security at a critical time, both agreed.
The Prime Minister also welcomed the signing of the Strategic Investment and Collaboration Partnership, building on the two-way investment partnership between the countries, and how this will unlock new investment, growth and jobs into the UK, delivering on the Plan for Change.
The leaders also underscored the importance of the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the two countries, deepening joint military training and building on the two nations’ strong naval ties.
Highlighting the strength of the 200-year relationship between both nations, the leaders looked forward to further cooperation, including trade negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the leaders called for de-escalation and both agreed on the need for enduring and closer relationships across the region to support stability.
The Prime Minister and Crown Prince looked forward to speaking again soon.
(2) Saudi Arabia
The Prime Minister met the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh this evening.
The leaders began by discussing the shared challenges and opportunities between the two countries, including on defence and security, growth, and research and development.
The Prime Minister updated on his Plan for Change, which he announced last week, including his ambition to drive growth across the country.
Saudi Arabia was already playing a central role in supporting growth and job creation in the UK, especially through the green energy sector, the Prime Minister added.
The relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia was also central to regional stability, the leaders agreed.
Reflecting on Saudi Arabia’s reform agenda, the leaders discussed the steps taken by the Crown Prince’s government to improve human rights under Saudi’s Vision 2030.
Turning to the situation in Israel and Gaza, the Prime Minister updated on his view of the situation and welcomed the Crown Prince’s reflection on how the suffering on all sides could be ended.
It was also vital there was an acceleration of aid into Gaza, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister invited the Crown Prince to the UK, and said he hoped the leaders would be able to watch a game of football in between meetings if he took up the offer.
(3) Oman
The Prime Minister welcomed the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik al Said, to Downing Street this morning.
The Prime Minister began by highlighting the historic relationship between the UK and Oman, noting the special friendship, spanning over 400 years.
The leaders discussed the broad areas of cooperation between their two countries, including defence, security and trade, which they both looked forward to strengthening.
Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the Prime Minister emphasised the clear and urgent the need for de-escalation and urged all parties in the region to exercise restraint.
On Gaza, The Prime Minister reiterated the need for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and an immediate increase in the volume of humanitarian aid reaching civilians. Both agreed on the need for a two-state solution through a peace process.
They looked forward to working closely together in the future.
(4) The United Arab Emirates
The Prime Minister met His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi this morning.
The Prime Minister thanked His Highness for inviting him to the United Arab Emirates and emphasised the long-standing and wide-ranging partnership between the two countries.
The Prime Minister and His Highness shared their perspectives on the evolving situation in Syria. The Prime Minister welcomed His Highness’s reflections on how to achieve stability in the wider region against the broader geopolitical backdrop.
Turning to the bilateral relationship, they agreed on the untapped potential in areas such as artificial intelligence, and a joint desire to build on existing cooperation in defence and security.
They also discussed a shared ambition for greater investment and trade, building on the close personal ties between the British and Emirati people.
The Prime Minister thanked His Highness for his hospitality, and said he hoped to be able to reciprocate during a visit to the UK in the future.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to discontinue their military action in Palestine, and what steps they are taking to assist Palestinian civilians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Vital steps include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.
Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.. We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings.
We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza.
The Foreign Secretary has appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson. He is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 16 November 2020 to Question 114286 on Saudi Arabia: Military Aid, whether British personnel continue to accompany the deployment of Giraffe radars to Saudi Arabia.
Answered by James Heappey
Yes. Under Op CROSSWAYS UK service personnel continue to accompany the deployment of Giraffe radars to Saudi Arabia. This capability is defensive in nature and deployed to help Saudi Arabia defend itself from aerial threats to her territorial integrity.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the ethical implications of supplying weapons and military support to the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.
Answered by Mike Freer
I can assure you that HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously. We assess all applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which take into account our obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and other relevant rules of international law. They provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.
In making our decisions on the exports of arms, we take advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes underlying the increase in military takeovers in Africa in the past year, in particular in (1) Chad, (2) Guinea, (3) Sudan, (4) Mali, and (5) Burkina Faso; and what steps they intend to take in response through their (a) foreign, and (b) aid, policies.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are concerned by the deteriorating situation across the Sahel and the impact on regional security. We joined the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, and international partners to condemn the coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali. We call for the return to democratic, civilian and constitutional rule without delay. In a meeting with ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, on 22 February, the Minister for Africa set out the UK's continued support for ECOWAS' mediation efforts. In Chad, we condemned the killing of President Idriss Deby in April 2021, and are working with the African Union to support a return to civilian and constitutional rule.
We also condemned the actions of the Sudanese military in October 2021 and issued statements alongside Troika (UK, Norway, US) and quad (UK, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE) partners. We urge all political actors to engage in UN-facilitated dialogue to end the crisis and engage with all parties to demonstrate support for the democratic transition.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK Government trained any members of the Saudi Royal Guard Rapid Intervention Force in each year from 2013 to 2017.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK Government did not provide training to the group known as the Rapid Intervention Force between 2013 and 2017.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2021 to Question 27328 on Saudi Arabia: Military Aid and with reference to the video published on Twitter on 26 June 2021 of the Armed Forces Minister referencing the number of British troops in Somalia; for what reason that published information was not included in that Answer on operational and personal security grounds.
Answered by James Heappey
Each request for disclosing information related to deployed personnel is considered on its merits. In the case of the air defence deployment to Saudi Arabia, for operational and personal security reasons, we cannot disclose the number of those deployed.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2021 to Question 24336 on Saudi Arabia: Military Aid, how many UK personnel are deployed to Saudi Arabia with those air defence units.
Answered by James Heappey
For operational and personal security reasons I cannot disclose the number of those deployed.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2020 to Question 116502 on Saudi Arabia: Royal Artillery, what the total cost to the public purse is for the deployment of British air defence units to Saudi Arabia since February 2020, as at 29 June 2021.
Answered by James Heappey
To date, the total cost of the deployment in Question is £2,279,953.