Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the reasons for the prolonged recess of the parliament of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament has been in recess since 12 October 2015, following an escalation in tensions between Kurdish parties over the extension of the term of Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani. The situation has now de-escalated slightly and negotiations over the extension are ongoing. We are following the situation closely and encouraging all the parties to work together to resolve this issue peacefully, in the spirit of compromise and respecting democratic principles.