Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2024 to Question 9726 on Red Sea: Shipping, whether he had discussions with his international counterparts on the potential merits of countries other than (a) the UK and (b) the US taking part in military action in the Red Sea on 12 January 2024.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK and United States' military action on 22 January 2023 against Houthi targets was taken with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
The Defence Secretary continues to engage counterparts to ensure a robust international response to the Red Sea situation.
On 23 January, the US and UK were joined by 23 countries in issuing another Joint Statement condemning the illegal and reckless Houthis attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways. The Joint Statement noted that the latest US and UK led strikes were in accordance with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence, consistent with the UN Charter. It also highlighted how the thirty-plus attacks that the Houthis have launched against commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to all countries that rely on international maritime shipping. It also underscored that those who supply the Houthis with weapons to conduct these attacks are violating UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether UK assets in Bahrain have assisted (a) UK and (b) US airstrikes in Yemen since 11 January 2024.
Answered by James Heappey
No.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost of remedial works to (a) HMS Bangor and (b) HMS Chiddingfold.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Suitably qualified and experienced personnel have deployed to the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and are conducting accident investigation and damage assessment work following the collision between HMS Bangor and HMS Chiddingfold.
It would not be appropriate to comment until the investigations have been completed and a full assessment of the damage is known.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the seriousness of the damage sustained by (a) HMS Bangor and (b) HMS Chiddingfold.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Suitably qualified and experienced personnel have deployed to the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and are conducting accident investigation and damage assessment work following the collision between HMS Bangor and HMS Chiddingfold.
It would not be appropriate to comment until the investigations have been completed and a full assessment of the damage is known.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department made of the causes of the incident in which HMS Chiddingfold collided with HMS Bangor.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Suitably qualified and experienced personnel have deployed to the UK Naval Support Facility in Bahrain and are conducting accident investigation and damage assessment work following the collision between HMS Bangor and HMS Chiddingfold.
It would not be appropriate to comment until the investigations have been completed and a full assessment of the damage is known.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, on how many occasions (a) Saudi Arabia, (b) the United Arab Emirates, (c) Qatar, (d) Bahrain, (e) Kuwait and (f) Oman gave awards to members of the Government (i) without seeking permission from the Government and (ii) regardless of permission being denied between 2014 and 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Honours Secretariat has a record of one request to confer an award on a member of Her Majesty's Government from these six countries. In 2017, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia advised that they wished to confer an award on a member of the Government. Due diligence was carried out before the award was accepted. There are no records of any awards conferred without permission.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Accepting foreign awards: UK rules, last updated on 24 November 2021, on how many occasions permission was (a) sought, (b) granted and (c) denied in respect of foreign awards being conferred to members of the Government by (i) Saudi Arabia, (ii) the United Arab Emirates, (iii) Qatar, (iv) Bahrain, (v) Kuwait and (vi) Oman between 2014 and 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Honours Secretariat has a record of one request to confer an award on a member of Her Majesty's Government from these six countries. In 2017, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia advised that they wished to confer an award on a member of the Government. Due diligence was carried out before the award was accepted. There are no records of any awards conferred without permission.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister during the oral statement on Defending the UK and Allies of 15 January 2024, Official Report, column 577, for what reason only forces from the UK and USA took part in the action in the Red Sea on 11 January 2024.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK and United States' military action on 12 January against Houthi targets was taken with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
Ten countries, including Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Republic of Korea, signed a joint statement on the strikes, re-iterating to the Houthis that we will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in the face of continued threats.
This followed a 3 January joint statement from by the UK, US and ten allies, including Belgium, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, calling for the immediate end to the Houthis' illegal activities.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 December 2023 to Question HL1234 on Roderick Drummond, whether his Department has sanctioned Mr Drummond following his acceptance of an award from Bahrain on 23 July 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Where a foreign award is conferred without permission, a Head of Mission will not be given permission to formally accept, or wear, the award, but is allowed to retain it. The Minister of State has not made representations to his counterpart on Bahrain on this issue.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 December 2023 to Question HL1234 on Roderick Drummond, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart on Bahrain on the presentation of an award to the former ambassador on 23 July 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Where a foreign award is conferred without permission, a Head of Mission will not be given permission to formally accept, or wear, the award, but is allowed to retain it. The Minister of State has not made representations to his counterpart on Bahrain on this issue.