Caroline has been monitoring the armed conflicting happening in Yemen. Her parliamentary record on matters relating to Yemen is below, followed by a letter she recently wrote on the issue to the Secretary of State for Defense, Michael Fallon.
Parliamentary record on matters relating to Yemen
Asked by: Lucas, Caroline | Party: Green Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2015 to Question HL1125 on Saudi Arabia: Yemen, how many precision-guided weapons of what type are being provided to Saudi Arabian armed forces; what procedures are in place to monitor the use of such weapons by Saudi Arabian armed forces; and if he will make a statement.
Answering member: Penny Mordaunt | Party
: Conservative Party | Department: Ministry of Defence We do not routinely reveal the exact numbers of precision guided weapons being provided to the Saudi authorities as to do so would prejudice commercial interests, and also to protect Saudi operational security. The release of this information would be a matter for the Saudi authorities.
The UK aims to operate one of the most rigorous and transparent export control regimes in the world. Each licence application is rigorously assessed using internationally recognised criteria. The Saudis have provided repeated assurances to us that they will be used in compliance with international humanitarian law and we continue to engage with them on those assurances.
21 Jul 2015 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 7584
Date tabled: 16 Jul 2015 | Date for answer: 21 Jul 2015 | Date answered: 21 Jul 2015
Subject: Armed forces; Armed conflict; Saudi Arabia; Yemen; Guided weapons
Asked by: Lucas, Caroline | Party: Green Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 9 September to Question 207819 on Saudi Arabia, what roles British personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia are carrying out in support of the Saudi armed forces military operations in Yemen; what steps he has taken to ensure that such military operations are not in breech of international humanitarian law; and if he will make a statement.
Answering member: Penny Mordaunt | Party
: Conservative Party | Department: Ministry of Defence The UK provides routine teams of personnel to support Saudi Arabia, under existing government-to-government arrangements. None of these personnel are participating directly in Saudi military operations. We currently have:
11 personnel providing mentoring and advice to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, as part of the British Military Mission to the Saudi Arabian National Guard.
18 military and 19 civilian personnel working on the Saudi Arabia National Guard Communications Project to acquire and support, modern communications capabilities for the Saudi Arabian National Guard.
76 military and 42 civilian personnel working on the Ministry of Defence Saudi Armed Forces Projects, supporting the United Kingdom's commitment to the defence of Saudi Arabia through the supply of modern military aircraft, naval vessels, weapons and associated support services to the Saudi Armed Forces.
In addition to these personnel, we have also deployed a small number of liaison personnel in Saudi and coalition Air and Maritime Headquarters. This includes personnel in the Maritime Coalition Coordination Centre in Bahrain to help ease the flow of humanitarian aid into Yemen.
We have received assurances from the Saudis that they are complying with International Humanitarian Law and we continue to engage with them on those assurances.
21 Jul 2015 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 7583
Date tabled: 16 Jul 2015 | Date for answer: 21 Jul 2015 | Date answered: 21 Jul 2015
Subject: Armed forces; Armed conflict; Saudi Arabia; Yemen
Asked by: Lucas, Caroline | Party: Green Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the humanitarian situation in Yemen's Saada province and (b) whether British arms and equipment exported to Saudi Arabia have been sued by Saudi-armed forces in Saada province; and if he will make a statement.
Answering member: Mr Tobias Ellwood | Party: Conservative Party | Department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
We are extremely concerned by the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. On 19 June, the Department for International Development announced a further £40 million to the humanitarian response, bringing the UK’s total commitment to £55 million for 2015.
We are not participating directly in Saudi Arabian led military operations in Yemen, but we are providing technical support, precision-guided weapons and exchanging information with the Saudi Arabian armed forces through pre-existing arrangements.
In addition to the personnel who continue to provide support for equipment supplied, we have a small number of liaison personnel in Saudi Arabia and coalition air and maritime headquarters. This includes personnel in the Maritime Coalition Coordination Centre in the region supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid into Yemen.
21 Jul 2015 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 7565
Date tabled: 16 Jul 2015 | Date for answer: 21 Jul 2015 | Date answered: 21 Jul 2015
Subject: Armed conflict; Defence equipment; Exports; Saudi Arabia; Yemen
Asked by: Lucas, Caroline | Party: Green Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many arms export licences the Government has issued with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 25 March 2015; if he will investigate the effect of the UK's obligations under national and EU legislation and the Arms Trade Treaty of the issuing of arms export licences to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and that country's air strikes in Yemen and its allies; and if he will make a statement.
Answering member: Anna Soubry | Party: C
onservative Party | Department: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills The Government has granted 37 export licences for military goods for Saudi Arabia since 25 March 2015.
All export licence applications are carefully assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria to ensure the UK’s obligations are being met. The Criteria, which were amended in March 2014 to reflect the UK’s commitments under the Arms Trade Treaty, take into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including the prevailing circumstances in the recipient country and the region, the nature of the goods, the identity of the end-user and the stated end-use. A licence will not be issued if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the Criteria.
No further investigation is planned because all applications are rigorously assessed against these Criteria.
01 Jul 2015 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 3711
Date tabled: 23 Jun 2015 | Date for answer: 25 Jun 2015 | Date answered: 01 Jul 2015
Statistics: yes | Subject: Armed conflict; Arms trade; Exports; Saudi Arabia; Yemen
Asked by: Lucas, Caroline | Party: Green Party
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to adopt a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties engaged in military operations in Yemen; if he will encourage the UN Security Council to adopt such an embargo; and if he will make a statement.
Answering member: Mr Tobias Ellwood | Party: Conservative Party | Department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
In April, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2216 (2015) which established an arms embargo against individuals or entities engaging in, or providing support for, acts that threaten the peace, security and stability of Yemen as designated by the Committee. We remain supportive of actions being taken to deter the Houthi aggression in Yemen, which came at the request of President Hadi, and believe that a political solution brokered through the UN is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen.
30 Jun 2015 | Written questions | Answered | House of Commons | 3635
Date tabled: 23 Jun 2015 | Date for answer: 25 Jun 2015 | Date answered: 30 Jun 2015
Transferred: yes
Subject: Armed conflict; Arms trade; Sanctions; Yemen; UN Security Council
· Caroline has signed this EDM
That this House is dismayed by the ongoing conflict in Yemen, where the Houthi rebel group continues to fight forces loyal to the legitimate government and President Hadi; notes that a coalition of Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, continues to launch air strikes against the rebels; further notes that over 1,000 people have died in the conflict since the beginning of 2015, including over 100 children; supports international efforts to forge a negotiated political solution, and to allow aid agencies to provide vital humanitarian aid into the country; and calls on the Government to take all possible action to support the international efforts to stabilise Yemen and bring all parties to the negotiating table.
04 Jun 2015 | Early day motions | Open | House of Commons | 79 (session 2015-16)
Primary sponsor: Vaz, Keith | Party: Labour Party
Other sponsors: McDonnell, John · Weir, Mike · Corbyn, Jeremy · Bottomley, Peter · Day, Martyn
Number of signatures: 25
Topic: International politics and government; Middle East
Letter to Defense Secretary, Michael Fallon
Secretary of State for Defence
Ref: ML.JB.N0044.CID.18.08.15
Dear Michael,
Thank you for your responses to the questions I asked regarding the UK’s military relationship with Saudi Arabia in relation to the ongoing conflict on Yemen. I have a number of follow up questions and concerns that I thought would be best framed in a letter, to which I would welcome your response.
With regard to WPQ 7584, while I understand that your department cannot publically reveal the number of precision guided munitions being sold to Saudi Arabia and used by its armed forces in Yemen, the answer suggests that your department does nevertheless hold this information.
The answer also notes that:
“The Saudis have provided repeated assurances to us that they will be used in compliance with international humanitarian law and we continue to engage with them on those assurances.”
Relying only on unspecified assurances alone, from a country as institutionally opaque as Saudi Arabia, and with such a concerning record in regards to the rule of law and human rights, does not seem in keeping with the aim to run the most “rigorous and transparent export control regimes in the world.”[1] I would like to see further information on any procedures, beyond simple assurances, that the UK Government and British military personnel in the region have in place to track the use of British exported weaponry in case of abuse.
Of specific concern is Yemen’s northern Saada Governorate. In May this year, several media outlets, including Reuters[2] reported that the whole Governorate and its 800,000 population has been declared a military target, with bombing beginning mere hours after the announcement.
In relation to Saada, can you provide any further information on whether or not any technical support, exchange of information, or British exported arms or equipment has been used in operations in the Governorate? I pursue this line of questioning out of concern that incidents in Yemen that may occur, or may have occurred, constitute serious breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL). This would represent a serious challenge to the spirit and aims of the international Arms Trade Treaty – a Treaty that was proudly celebrated by your predecessor in April 2014.
I am disappointed to observe the Government’s response to the crisis in Yemen so far, which seems to have paid scant concern to this treaty – indeed, concerns about human rights and abuses of IHL seem of peripheral concern.
I should be grateful for your response to the points raised in this letter.
Yours sincerely, Caroline
CCd to Foreign Secretary
CCd to DFID Secretary
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