Written questions, answers and statements

Bahrain

Show full question

Question for Ministry of Defence

UIN 218443, tabled on 11 December 2014

Question

Vernon Coaker
Labour
Gedling
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Status of Forces Agreement between the UK and Bahrain has been amended as a result of the UK naval base in Bahrain.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Mr Mark Francois
Conservative
Rayleigh and Wickford
Commons

Answered on

17 December 2014

It has. The Arrangement which the UK signed with Bahrain concerning naval basing also changed the jurisdiction arrangements that apply to UK military personnel who are serving in Bahrain. From 1994 until 2014, the UK had exclusive jurisdiction over military personnel in Bahrain. This changed when the basing Arrangement was signed. As a result there is now concurrent jurisdiction, which recognises that both UK and Bahraini law applies to UK military personnel serving in Bahrain. The Arrangement contains a mechanism to allow the UK and Bahraini authorities to determine which set of national laws should be applied to a member of the UK Armed Forces if it is alleged that they have committed a crime.

Answered by

Ministry of Defence
Named day
Named day questions only occur in the House of Commons. The MP tabling the question specifies the date on which they should receive an answer. MPs may not table more than five named day questions on a single day.