SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has told the UK Government to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia or risk being complicit in the deaths of 150,000 children.

The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP made the claim during Prime Minister’s Questions when he pointed out that the Government had made it possible for British firms to make “£4.6 billion from selling arms to Saudi Arabia since the war in Yemen began”.

Theresa May wasn’t in the Commons as she’s in the Middle East as part of a three-day trip to the region. She was expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince, and deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman late last night.

Since early 2015, Saudi Arabia has been involved in conflict against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Forces backed by the government in Riyadh have been accused of rampant human rights abuses against civilians. A blockade has stopped vital aid getting through to people who need it.

Amnesty International claims that the UK, along with the US, France, Spain, Canada and Turkey have sold a total of about £4.44bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2016.

Saudi Arabia is by some distance the UK’s most valuable client.

Blackford told the Commons, and May’s deputy, Damian Green, that the war in Yemen has “created a devastating humanitarian crisis”.

“Yemen is now on the brink of famine, and UNICEF has said that 150,000 children will die by the end of the year,” he warned before asking Green and the Government to “follow the example of the Netherlands and suspend licences for arms sales to Saudi Arabia to stop killing children”.

Green said suspending licenses would “certainly entail significant job losses”.

He added: “We are the fourth largest humanitarian donor to Yemen, and the second largest to the UN appeal.

“I also remind the right honourable gentleman that the involvement of the Saudis in this conflict came at the request of the legitimate government of Yemen and has UN Security Council backing.

“That is why we support it. This is a conflict supported by the UN Security Council”.

Last week Andrew Mitchell, the Tory and former international development secretary, said the UK was “dangerously complicit” in a Saudi policy that was “directly promoting a famine and the collective punishment of an entire population”.

Meanwhile, Green was also asked to apologise on behalf of the Government for letting down victims of sexual assault.

The minister is himself at the centre of allegations around sexual impropriety, over claims he harassed a young Tory activist and downloaded extreme pornography to a work computer.

Green strongly denies both allegations.

Labour MP John Mann asked if Green agreed with him “that Government and Parliament need to lead by example and will he on behalf of Government apologise to the victims that Parliament and Government have been letting down?”

Green did not apologise, but agreed that the Parliament “as an institution” needed to improve complaints procedures.