Defence and international affairs

Below is a selection of Commons Library research briefings that are relevant to this debate (you can watch the debate on Parliamentlive.tv). Further briefings can be found on the Defence and World affairs topic pages on the House of Commons Library website. 

Links to relevant debates, statements and urgent questions, for recent parliamentary sessions, are available in the following research briefings:

• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2022-23 session, CBP-9824, 17 January 2024

• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2021-22 session, CBP-9251, 6 June 2022

• International affairs and defence: Parliamentary debates and statements in the 2019-21 session, CBP-8984, 10 May 2021

Geographic regions

Middle East

• UK and international response to Houthis in the Red Sea 2024, CBP-9930, 15 January 2024

• Yemen airstrikes: Parliament’s role in approving military action, CBP-9934, 12 January 2024

• 2023/24 Israel-Hamas conflict: UK and international response, CBP-9874, 5 January 2024

• Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: A parliamentary reading list (2020-2023), CBP-9873, 8 December 2023

• UK aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip: FAQs, CBP-9900, 24 November 2023

• UK Government policy on Iran, CDP-0117 (2023), 1 June 2023

• Iran’s influence in the Middle East, CBP-9504, 14 April 2023

Ukraine

•  The conflict in Ukraine

This page contains research briefings relating to the conflict in Ukraine, including sanctions, energy security, international legal issues, NATO, and implications for the UK.

Africa

• Africa in 2024: Democracy and instability, Insight, 15 January 2024

Asia

• Taiwan: History, politics and UK relations, CBP-9254, 17 August 2023

• Taiwan: Relations with the United States, CBP-9265, 14 August 2023

• Taiwan: Relations with China, CBP-9844, 14 August 2023

Themes

Defence

• Emerging and disruptive defence technologies, CBP-9184, 13 November 2023

• Seabed warfare: Protecting the UK’s undersea infrastructure, Insight, 24 May 2023

• UK defence expenditure, CBP-8175, 20 April 2023

• The Integrated Review Refresh 2023: What has changed since 2021? CBP-9750, 15 March 2023

• Parliamentary approval for military action, CBP-7166, 17 April 2018

Armed forces

• Adequacy of service accommodation, CDP-0229 (2023), 15 December 2023

• Support for UK Veterans, CBP-7693, 24 November 2023

• UK defence policy and the role of the armed forces, Lords Library paper, 24 August 2023

• UK defence personnel statistics, CBP-7930, 18 July 2023

Arms exports

• An introduction to UK arms exports, CBP-8312, 17 January 2024

• UK arms exports: statistics, CBP-8310, 12 December 2023

 AUKUS

• AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) programme, CBP-9843, 22 November 2023

• AUKUS pillar 2: Advanced capabilities, CBP-9842, 9 November 2023

Nuclear weapons

• What is the status of the Iran nuclear deal? CBP-9870, 13 October 2023

• Replacing the UK’s nuclear deterrent: Progress of the Dreadnought class, CBP-8010, 3 May 2023

• Replacing the UK’s nuclear deterrent: The warhead programme, CBP-9777, 25 April 2023

• Nuclear weapons: At a glance, CBP-9069, 29 July 2022

This page features a series of Commons Library briefings on the policies, capabilities and programmes of the nuclear weapon states. They should be taken as correct at the time of writing and will be updated periodically.

International development

• The 0.7% aid target, SN-3714, 4 December 2023

• UK aid: Spending reductions since 2020 and outlook from 2023, CBP-9224, 30 October 2023

International organisations

• The UK at the United Nations: How the UN works, CBP-9210, 28 April 2021

Treaties and international law

• Safety of Rwanda Bill: legal commentary, CBP-9931, 12 January 2024

• UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, CBP-9568, 6 December 2023

• What is the proposed WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty? CBP-9550, 14 December 2023

• International Regulation of Space, CBP-9432, 26 January, 2022