Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has conducted a risk assessment on engaging with groups previously designated as terrorist organisations in Syria.

I refer the Hon. Member to my statement on gov.uk marking the one‑year anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime and the written ministerial statement to both Houses on 22 October, which can be found respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/minister-falconer-article-on-syria-anniversary-december-2025 and https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-22/hcws977

These set out, respectively, the UK's support for the efforts of the new Syrian government to build a more stable, inclusive, and representative country and the decision that the Government came to on de‑proscription. I emphasised the importance of inclusive political transition during President Al Sharaa's visit on 31 March.