Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he Department holds on the organisations responsible for the kidnap for ransom of (a) aid workers, (b) lawyers and (c) other civil society representatives operating in Idlib province in Syria.

A number of armed groups operate in Idlib province, several of which have either engaged in or pose a risk of kidnap for ransom. There remains a very high risk of kidnapping in Idlib, as there is throughout Syria, which can be for financial or political gain. An individual's occupation may not protect them against kidnapping, and many terrorists in Syria view those engaged in humanitarian aid work as legitimate targets.