Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he had made of the effect in Lebanon of the continued fighting in Syria and the influx of refugees.

The ongoing crisis in Syria is having a major impact on Lebanon. We are concerned about recent fighting around the Lebanon-Syria border and attacks by ISIL and Al Nusra Front on the Lebanese Army and Lebanese towns in the border area. There are currently around 1.2 million refugees in Lebanon, creating pressure on services which in turn has led to tensions with some host communities. We are committed to supporting Lebanon’s stability. By the end of this year, the UK will have provided £150 million since the start of the Syrian crisis to support refugees and vulnerable communities in Lebanon. We have also provided £20 million to support the Lebanese Armed Forces Land Border Regiments as they protect Lebanon from spillover violence in Syria.