Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which governments they are aware of which have paid ransoms to IS; and what discussions they have had with them.

The UN Al Qaeda Sanctions regime sets out the international legal framework. It makes clear that ransom payments to terrorist organisations are illegal. All UN Member States are bound by this. We are unable to comment on reports of ransom payments by other countries.

The UK policy position is clear. We do not pay ransoms or make any other substantive concessions to terrorists. Ransom payments strengthen terrorist groups and encourage them to carry out further kidnaps. This is why the UK has also led the drive to secure agreement on the principle of not paying ransoms. Under UK Presidency in 2013 the G8 made an unequivocal commitment to reject ransom payments to terrorists. The UK also secured the first standalone UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) on tackling terrorist ransom payments, which was unanimously adopted in January 2014, as UNSCR 2133.