Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cyprus: Sovereign Base Areas

Monday 25 March 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK continually assesses potential threats to the sovereign base areas in Cyprus.
  • The UK reserves the right to operate from the sovereign base areas based on national interest.
  • Cyprus's strategic location makes the sovereign base areas vital for UK military operations.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Stephens SNP
Defence
Context

No specific event or statistic is provided, but the question addresses ongoing security concerns related to the sovereign base areas on the island of Cyprus.

Question

What assessment has been made of the security of the sovereign base areas and the armed forces in Cyprus?

Answer from James Heappey

The UK continually assesses potential threats to our overseas territories, including the sovereign base areas on the island of Cyprus. British Forces Cyprus provides a permanent military presence, and we are investing in the SBAs to combat current and future threats, in order to ensure local, regional and global security.

Answered
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Q2 Chris Stephens SNP
Defence
Context

Building on the previous question, this query focuses specifically on the communication between the UK and Cyprus regarding military activities.

Question

I thank the Minister for his response. The Secretary of State has said: 'We want to do everything possible to ensure the security of Cyprus'. Does the Minister agree that it would be appropriate to keep the Cypriot Government informed of all UK military operations conducted from their island? Should not that be an official obligation, for the security of Cyprus?

Answer from James Heappey

The SBAs are sovereign bases, so of course we reserve the right to operate from them as needed, based on the UK national interest. The hon. Gentleman will be reassured to hear that the Secretary of State, his predecessors, other Ministers in the MOD and I have very good relations with the Cypriots, and we seek to tell them as much as we can about operations that we mount from SBAs there.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly state whether it is an official obligation to inform the Cypriot government.

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Q3 James Gray Con
Defence
Context

The MP builds on previous discussions about the strategic value of the SBAs and their role beyond just military defense.

Question

I would like to add to the warm words said about my right hon. Friend. He has been particularly supportive of the all-party parliamentary group for the armed forces, and the armed forces parliamentary scheme, both of which I chair. Does he agree that the sovereign base areas in Cyprus have a particularly important role to play in our activities in the Red sea?

Answer from James Heappey

Cyprus is in an incredibly important strategic location, which means that it is of great use to our operations in the southern Red sea, as well as in the eastern Mediterranean, the western Balkans, central Asia and beyond. It is a vital mountain base for so much that the UK armed forces do. We are incredibly fortunate to have that facility.

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