Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether fresh Parliamentary approval would be needed for the United Kingdom to take any military action against ISIS inside Syria.

The Government is committed to the convention that has developed that, before troops are committed to conflict, the House of Commons should have an opportunity to debate the matter except when there was an emergency and such action would not be appropriate.

That convention has been recorded in the Cabinet Manual. The Government’s commitment to it has been demonstrated by the decision to request the recall of Parliament on 26 September 2014 to debate the UK supporting the Iraqi and coalition military campaign against ISIL in Iraq, including the use of UK air strikes.

The Government is committed to the existing constitutional arrangement, which provides an effective framework by which to engage Parliament in conflict decisions. However, the Prime Minister has made clear that he would act immediately and explain to Parliament afterwards if there were ever a need to do so, such as if a critical British national interest was at stake or if there was a need to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.