Oral Answers to Questions

Joan Ryan Excerpts

Tuesday 9th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Alan Duncan]

No, I do not. I have spent much of the past 18 months championing this country across Europe and elsewhere, throughout the 77 countries I represent, and I am proud to say that the British flag flies high and with great respect in all those countries.

[Joan Ryan (Enfield North) (Lab)]

6. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on stability in the middle east of Iranian political and military influence in that region.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

15. What recent assessment he has made of the strength of relations between the UK and Iran.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Boris Johnson)]

We have consistently made clear our concern about Iran’s destabilising and disruptive activity in the region, about its ballistic missile programme —it remains sanctioned by both the EU and the UN— and of course about reported Iranian weapons supplies to the Houthis in Yemen, which would be a violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. We have set out those concerns with great clarity at the Security Council.

[Joan Ryan]

Iran’s support for terrorist groups across the region, its culpability in the destruction of Syria and its threats to wipe the world’s only Jewish state off the map must obviously be condemned by all, but words are not enough. What action is Britain going to take to combat Iran’s destabilising activities and, as the Foreign Secretary mentioned, its ballistic missile programme?

[Boris Johnson]

We have—indeed, I have personally—made clear to the Iranian leadership at all levels the deep concern we have in this country about the very issues the right hon. Lady raises. In particular, of course, there is the supply—or the alleged supply—of weaponry to the Houthis, the ballistic missile programme and the breaches of Iran’s obligations under UN Security Council resolution 2231. We are raising those issues not just with the Iranians but with our international friends and partners, to put pressure on Iran to desist from those activities.