Defence and international affairs

International Affairs And Defence Section

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.