Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq on the (a) safety and security of the Ezidi population of Sinjar and (b) importance of recognising and including the local democratic structures of the population in any decision-making process for that area.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have regular discussions with Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) counterparts, including on Sinjar. We have welcomed the recently proposed joint security agreement between the Government of Iraq and the KRG in Sinjar province and stressed that to be effective, the new security structure in Sinjar will need to work closely with the local population to ensure success.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had since 9 October 2020 with his counterparts in the Federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq on the security and constitutional status of Sinjar.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have regular discussions with Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) counterparts including on Sinjar, most recently last week when our Ambassador to Iraq met with the President and the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region. We have underlined our strong support for the recently proposed joint security agreement between Government of Iraq (GoI) and the KRG in Sinjar province and the need to work closely with the local population to ensure success. We continue to encourage cooperation between the GoI and KRG on these issues.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken in response to the burning on 17 October 2020 in Baghdad of a Kurdish party office and the flag of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We strongly condemned the attack on the Kurdistan Democratic Party's office in Baghdad and made clear that addressing political difference through dialogue not violence was a fundamental element of a functioning democracy. The UK has welcomed steps taken to hold those responsible to account. We continue to work with the Government of Iraq on enhancing security measures, including through discussions during the Iraqi Prime Minister's Guest of Government visit to the UK on 22 October.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have with (1) the government of Iraq, and (2) the Kurdistan Regional Government, about the installation of another pontoon bridge over the river Tigris at Faysh Kharbur.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
British officials regularly discuss the issue of refugee crossings into the Kurdistan region of Iraq with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We understand that at present, aid and people are still able to cross at Fishkabour (although this is of course restricted due to COVID-19 measures), but we continue to monitor the situation and keep in regular contact with the UN, NGOs and international partners on the issue.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what meetings Ministers of his Department had with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK continues to have a close relationship with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, and our ministers and diplomatic representatives maintained regular contact with representatives of the Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq in 2018 and 2019. Current and former Foreign Secretaries and Ministers for the Middle East and North Africa have spoken with the KRG leadership including President Nechirvan Barzani. Most recently, I spoke to Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Masrour Barzani on 23rd September. The UK looks forward to continued close engagement with the KRG as a critical and valued partner in the region.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current security situation in Kirkuk, and (2) the prospects for an eventual settlement of Kirkuk’s status.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The security situation in Kirkuk remains fragile - we are concerned by reports of increased terror attacks in Kirkuk and across the disputed territories over the last few months. The resuming of talks under UN supervision to settle the status of Kirkuk are a welcome sign, and we continue to encourage all sides to work towards resolving their issues. The ongoing priority must remain the defeat of Daesh in order to build stability in the disputed territories.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking following threats by the government of Iraq to withhold federal budget payments to the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK encourages the Government of Iraq (GOI) and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to work together to resolve all issues in line with the Iraq Constitution. Following the appointment of new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, we will continue to encourage strong GOI-KRG cooperation, including on issues relating to federal budget payments to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Asked by: Jack Lopresti (Conservative - Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the strength of relations between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government of Iraq.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK supports a strong Kurdistan Region within a strong and unified Iraq. We welcome the new Government of Iraq under Prime Minister Kadhimi and are encouraging the new Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to co-operate closely in order to resolve all issues in accordance with the 2005 Iraqi Constitution. The UK will continue to engage with both sides in support of this endeavour.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Iraqi Kurds have had their passports confiscated on grounds of identity in each of the last five years; and how many of those Iraqi Kurds have since had their passports returned.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The data below relates to applications where Iraq was provided as the place of birth on the UK passport application. The figures relate to the year in which a passport was revoked, because it was determined that there was no entitlement to a passport. The reasons for this in individual cases would include concerns around the person’s identity.
2015 | 5 |
2016 | 1 |
2017 | 7 |
2018 | 41 |
2019 | 116 |
In 4 of these cases a subsequent passport has been issued in the same identity.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps his Department has taken to support peace and stability in (a) Iraq and (b) the Kurdistan region; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is working actively to support continued peace, stability and democracy in Iraq following recent events. Since early January Ministers have engaged closely with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including Iraqi President Salih, Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul-Mehdi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hakim and KRG Prime Minister Barzani. In his conversation with his Iraqi counterpart on 6 January, the Prime Minister reaffirmed our strong support for Iraq's sovereignty and security. We have also reiterated the continued importance of the Global Coalition's role in supporting the Iraqi security forces including the Kurdish Peshmerga to prevent any resurgence of Daesh. The UK continues its support for the consolidation of democracy in Iraq including the Kurdistan Region. In light of ongoing protests in Iraq, we have encouraged political dialogue and emphasised the need to respect the right to peaceful protest.