Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, and if so, when, they received a request from the family and friends for the repatriation of the body of Anna Campbell, who was killed near Afrin in Syria in March 2018; what reply they sent; whether any subsequent action was taken; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are bound by strict confidentiality rules under the Data Protection Act. We cannot pass on any information about Anna Campbell without her families consent.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Secretary of State for International Development to the Friends of Syria All-Party Parliamentary Group on 28 May, which are the 15 agencies funded by the Department for International Development to implement projects in Syria.
Answered by Lord Bates
DFID is now funding 18 agencies implementing projects in Syria. These include UN agencies, international NGOs, and some private sector companies. Aside from the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, we have agreed with partners not to disclose publicly their identity because doing so could put their staff at risk.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications of UN Security Council Resolution 2249 (2015) for the legality of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
There is a clear legal basis for further military action against ISIL in Syria. The legal basis of the Coalition’s activity against ISIL in Syria has been, and continues to be, the inherent right of self-defence recognised in Article 51 of the UN Charter. The legality of potential UK strikes against ISIL in Syria would also be based on the right of self-defence. The right of self defence may be exercised individually where it is necessary for the UK’s own defence, and collectively in the defence of our friends and allies.
UN Security Council Resolution 2249 provides clear and unanimous political endorsement by the international community for the military action being taken by the Coalition.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the capacity of local authorities to provide support for refugees from Syria.
Answered by Mark Francois
My rt. hon. Friends, the Home Secretary (Theresa May) and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark), are leading a Joint Committee to expand the existing Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme to resettle up to 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament.
We will work with the local government sector, devolved administrations, the voluntary and community sector, faith communities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to put in place the necessary arrangements.
My rt. hon. Friend, the Home Secretary provided an update to the House today.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next expects the Friends of Syria Group to meet next.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Core Group of the Friends of Syria are due to meet in London on 22 January at senior official level, following the meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next expects the Friends of Syria Group to meet.
Answered by Lord Hammond of Runnymede
The Core Group of the Friends of Syria countries (UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and United Arab Emirates – also known as the London 11) meets at regular intervals at both senior official and ministerial level. The UK is a leading member and the group most recently met at senior official level on 10 November 2014 in London. There are currently no fixed plans for a next meeting but the group will reconvene when it is appropriate to do so. The group remains committed to helping end the long-running Syrian crisis.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Turkish authorities on preventing the smuggling of oil produced in territories controlled by ISIL.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We maintain a close and regular dialogue with Turkey about matters connected with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including preventing the smuggling of oil. I visited Turkey 29-30 November and discussed issues related to ISIL with President Erdoğan.
On 10 November the UK convened a meeting of the Core Group of the Friends of Syria which includes Turkey. We reaffirmed our commitment to a genuine political transition in co-operation with the UN Special Envoy; supporting the National Coalition to deliver services and protect the Syrian people; and strengthening measures against the Syrian regime including restricting its access to oil and military hardware.
In New York on 23 September, President Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations in the fight against terror. Together we have endorsed recent action at the UN to tighten the net around ISIL’s finance and recruitment operations (UNSCRs 2170 and 2178).
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what ways they are working to increase dialogue and co-operation between Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran in relation to the current problems of Syria and Iraq.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
As part of our efforts to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and find a solution to the problems of Iraq and Syria we are encouraging cooperation and engaging with countries across the region. On 10 November the UK convened a meeting of the Core Group of the Friends of Syria which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. We reaffirmed our commitment to a genuine political transition in co-operation with the UN Special Envoy; supporting the National Coalition to deliver services and protect the Syrian people; and strengthening measures against the Syrian regime including restricting its access to oil and military hardware. Alongside Foreign Ministers from the region, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), attended an international conference on peace and security in Iraq in Paris in September 2014. We continue to encourage governments throughout the region to support Prime Minister al-Abadi in his efforts to promote inclusive governance and advance the national reconciliation process.
Iran has an important role to play in the region and we have an ongoing dialogue on regional issues as part of our engagement via non-resident Chargé d’Affaires. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), also discussed regional issues with President Rouhani on 24 September 2014. In Iraq, Iran’s support for the new government is welcome, as is its effort to promote more inclusive governance for all Iraqis. We are open to discussing Syria with Iran and raise the issue in our contacts with them. Iran can and must play a constructive role.
Asked by: Lord Turnberg (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are proposing in the United Nations to alleviate the situations in Syria and Iraq; and what assessment they have made of the likelihood of the United Nations taking such action.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The UK is actively working with our partners, including the Friends of Syria Core Group (‘London 11') and the UN in bringing about a sustainable solution to the crisis in Syria through a negotiated political transition by mutual consent - this is the principle in the Geneva Communiqué agreed by the UN, the League of Arab States and the UN Security Council.
The UK is also at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Our total humanitarian funding for Syria and the region is now £600 million and we are leading efforts in the UN Security Council in pressing for a stronger Resolution that would give the UN's humanitarian agencies the authority they have been asking for to deliver help to millions of Syrians in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
The UK has also announced £5 million of humanitarian assistance in response to the situation in Iraq, where the situation is fast-moving and complex. There is a need for new international efforts and mechanisms to stem the flow of arms to extremist groups, cut off their finances and prevent them from exploiting the economic assets that they have seized. The UK will be making proposals for this work.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will support the inclusion of Iran among the Friends of Syria.
Answered by Baroness Warsi
The Friends of Syria are committed to supporting the moderate Syrian opposition who are fighting extremists, and who are in favour of a pluralist and democratic future for Syria. Iran's substantial military and financial support for Assad and his regime runs counter to this objective. The only sustainable solution to the crisis in Syria is to reach a negotiated political transition by mutual consent - this is the core principle contained in the Geneva Communiqué. We believe that Iran can and must play a constructive role in Syria by committing its support for negotiations between the Assad regime and the opposition on a transitional authority for Syria by mutual consent. Iran could also play a constructive role in ensuring humanitarian aid is delivered without hindrance across Syria, as required by UN Security Council resolution 2139. The Friends of Syria are committed to these goals.