Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What diplomatic steps the Government is taking to help support a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK continues to support the UN Special Envoy and coordinate closely with international and regional partners, including through Ministerial engagement. Minister Cleverly hosted a Quint meeting in January.
In February the UK led negotiations on UNSCR 2624 imposing the arms embargo on the Houthi movement.
We continue to urge all parties to engage constructively in UN-led negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made, as penholders for Yemen in the UN Security Council, in improving accountability in Yemen and the prospects for peace.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to use its role as penholder to support UN-led efforts towards peace in Yemen. Most recently, on 28 February the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2624, which reiterated calls for a nationwide ceasefire and for all parties to participate constructively in UN-led consultations. Resolution 2624 listed the Houthi movement under the UN arms embargo for the first time and renewed the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts. In January the former Minister for the Middle East hosted the UN Special Envoy for Yemen in London and also convened discussions amongst the UN, US, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE to coordinate efforts to drive forward political dialogue in Yemen.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister offered any assistance to the proposed Yemen peace talks at his meeting with the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh on 16 March.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. The UK will continue to use its diplomatic relations and role as penholder on Yemen in the UN Security Council to support efforts towards political dialogue and peace. The UK supports fully the efforts of the UN Special Envoy, and the UK continues to encourage the parties to engage constructively with those efforts.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the additional (a) internally displaced population and (b) need for humanitarian assistance that would be generated in the event that Marib city were taken by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The current Houthi offensive in Marib is worsening the humanitarian crisis and increasing levels of need. Humanitarian agencies have recorded over 60,000 displaced in Marib since September 2021 and a total of more than 200,000 have been displaced around Marib since January 2020. Our partners the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP) are currently responding in Marib. We are also working with the UN to ensure adequate presence on the ground and updated contingency planning for all potential scenarios. In 2021, the UK contributed £63.5 million to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which has provided $40 million to UN agencies for Marib. This is in addition to £87 million in aid that the UK is spending in Yemen for this financial year.
A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. On 10 January, I [Minister Cleverly] hosted UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in London and reiterated UK support for UN led peace efforts to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential for a ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. On 10 January I and senior officials hosted UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in London and reiterated UK support for UN led peace efforts to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress has been made by the UN special envoy, Martin Griffiths, on helping to restore the peace process in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK supports fully the efforts of UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, appointed on 6 August, to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.
A record and summary of the Special Envoy's latest briefing on 14 December to an open session of the UN Security Council can be found at
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1c/k1cjfioqd5
and https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14735.doc.htm
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. The UK supports fully the efforts of the UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis.
On 20 October the UK supported a UN Security Council Press Statement calling for an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. The Foreign Secretary also visited Riyadh in October where she discussed the conflict in Yemen with Saudi counterparts.
Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
A negotiated political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen. The UK supports fully the efforts of the UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, to drive forward the political process in Yemen. We urge the parties to engage constructively in negotiations to end the conflict.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to prevent further violence in Yemen, with a particular focus on the areas of Shabwa and Marib; and whether they have requested that the UN Secretary General’s new Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grunberg, travel to Yemen to support regional peace efforts.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Houthis' offensive on Marib and Shabwa and their intensifying of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia worsens the crisis and risks derailing the peace process. On 20 October the UK supported a UN Security Council Press Statement calling for an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. The Foreign Secretary also raised Yemen with Saudi counterparts on her visit to Riyadh on 20 October. We fully support the Yemen peace process led by the UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. We urge the parties to engage constructively with this process and call on all states to release humanitarian funding commitments promptly.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a negotiated peace settlement in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We support fully the Yemen peace process led by UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. An inclusive political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian suffering. Special Envoy Grundberg recently visited Yemen and regional countries to drive momentum behind the peace process. However, the Houthis' offensive on Marib and Shabwa and the intensifying of Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia are worsening the crisis. On 20 October the UK supported a UN Security Council Press Statement calling for an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib. The Foreign Secretary also raised Yemen with Saudi counterparts on her visit to Riyadh on 20 October. We urge the parties to engage constructively with the UN process and call on all states to release humanitarian funding commitments promptly.