Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much UK aid has been spent on programmes to support (a) children who have been conscripted as child soldiers by Daesh, (b) other children who have been held in captivity by Daesh and (c) women and girls who have been held in sexual slavery by Daesh.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
We are very concerned about appalling crimes committed by Daesh in Iraq and Syria, including against women and young children. We strongly condemn their use of sexual slavery, sexual violence, rape and kidnapping. Likewise, we have seen reports of children in Daesh-held areas being forced into military training after the militant group closed down their schools - leaving an estimated total of over 670,000 children without the opportunity of a proper education.
In Syria and Iraq, DFID continues to work with the UN and the international community to ensure all civilians’ rights are protected. However, we do not earmark our aid as being solely for Daesh victims or victims of other groups. The UK is committed to supporting the most vulnerable people wherever they are, in accordance with international humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality. Consequently all UK funded humanitarian assistance is distributed on the basis of need, and need alone, regardless of politics, religion, ethnicity or place of origin.
The UK has pledged over £2.3 billion for the response to the Syria crisis. Some of this funding is enabling partner agencies to provide specialist assistance to those affected by sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including safe spaces, psychosocial support, cash assistance and reproductive healthcare. By June 2015, UK assistance had provided SGBV focussed interventions to over 197,000 individuals in Syria and the region. In addition, more than 673,000 children have been reached with child protection initiatives across Syria and the region.
Ultimately, the best way of safeguarding these children is by defeating Daesh and establishing a lasting peace in both Syria and Iraq. The UK Government is committed to this aim: we have a comprehensive strategy for defeating Daesh and continue to work with our international partners and the UN towards a political settlement in Syria.
Asked by: Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Scottish National Party - Ochil and South Perthshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Government spending on Syria has been spent on (a) military action and (b) the provision of humanitarian aid.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is not possible to separately identify the costs of military action in Syria. However, from August 2014, the net additional costs of counter-Daesh activity in Iraq and Syria have been £280 million. Since February 2012, the UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
Asked by: Julie Cooper (Labour - Burnley)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the Iraqi army have been trained by British servicemen since 2003.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Since 2003, the UK has played an important role in delivering training to the Iraqi Army through a range of training, mentoring and advisory activities. Due to the varied nature of the training it is not possible to give an exact figure of the numbers trained, but we do have figures for some specific areas of training.
Between 2004 and 2009 - as part of Operation TELIC - British Service personnel in the south of Iraq trained over 20,000 Iraqi Army soldiers. During this period the UK also supported the NATO training mission in Iraq, with British Forces providing advice and training to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. The UK was the lead for officer education and training, and British mentors provided training and advice to the Iraqi Security Forces.
Under Operation SHADER, during 2015 and 2016, the UK has trained approximately 5,000 members of the Iraqi Army. This training has mainly focused on the delivery of Counter-IED training to support the Iraqi Security Forces in defeating Daesh.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government plans to develop a more comprehensive strategy to combat ISIL that prioritises protecting civilians in Syria.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK has a long-term, comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL. We are working to protect UK citizens, both domestically and overseas, from the threat posed by ISIL, and playing a leading role in the 65-member Global Coalition that is tackling ISIL on the ground. That international effort includes military action against ISIL in its heartlands in Iraq and Syria, cutting off its finances, tackling foreign fighter flows, stabilising areas which have been liberated from ISIL, and countering its poisonous ideology through strategic communications.
Unlike the Assad regime and its allies, who are bombing indiscriminately, Coalition military efforts in both Iraq and Syria are specifically designed to minimise civilian casualties. UK strike aircraft (which are currently operating only in Iraq) are equipped with advanced targeting systems and precision weapons to target ISIL by day or night whilst minimising civilian casualties.
In addition to our efforts as part of the Global Coalition, the UK is directly helping protect Syrians on the ground. We are training Search and Rescue teams and supporting local Moderate Opposition structures to deliver governance, infrastructure, health services, education and livelihoods services. We also give more humanitarian aid to Syria than any other bilateral donor except the US.
Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians in Syria is by achieving the mutually reinforcing objectives of defeating ISIL and ending the Syrian conflict. The latter can only be achieved through a political transition away from the Assad regime, whose brutality created and continues to fuel the conflict, and has led to ISIL’s expansion.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Worcester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that military action by coalition forces in Iraq does not displace civilians.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Defence's initial involvement last summer was to deliver immediate aid in support of humanitarian objectives. The Royal Air Force dropped nearly 100 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, the majority to the besieged Yazidi community on Mount Sinjar.
Individual members of the Coalition retain responsibility for the actions of their own forces. All UK air strikes are conducted under UK rules of engagement, which have been agreed for this campaign in accordance with the law. Close observation, careful selection and approval of targets before a strike, and the use of precision weapons minimises collateral damage and the potential for civilian casualties. This is in stark contrast with ISIL's complete disregard for human life and for the consequences of their actions for civilians.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
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 appropriateness of the Turkish government's response to ISIS; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Turkey is a key security partner for the UK which has long played an important role in the Global Coalition’s efforts to defeat ISIL. It is a founding member of the Coalition, and a critical partner in restricting the flow of foreign fighters and finance to ISIL across its borders with Syria and Iraq. Its strong support to the Syrian moderate opposition, including through the US-led Train and Equip Programme, helps bolster this critical ground force in its struggle against ISIL. More recently, we welcome Turkey joining the Coalition airstrikes against ISIL in Syria, as well as the opening of Incirlik airbase to Coalition forces. This is having a real military impact, drastically reducing the flight times to reach targets in Syria. Furthermore, Turkey is playing a key role in the humanitarian effort. It hosts more than 2 million refugees fleeing from Syria and Iraq, and is facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid across the border.Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to integrate training on sexual violence and gender issues into all training given by British forces to the Peshmerga in Iraq.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Protection of Civilian (PoC) training is now integrated into all of the training courses delivered to Peshmerga troops by UK training teams. This includes training on sexual violence and gender issues.
UK trainers have also delivered training to coalition partners' training teams within the Building Partner Capacity site at Erbil. This includes German, Norwegian, and Italian trainers. All UK trainers deployed to Iraq are now trained to deliver PoC training prior to leaving the UK.
Asked by: Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the killing of Christians by Islamic State in the city of Quaragosh, Iraq.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I am deeply concerned for the safety of Christians in parts of Iraq controlled by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). ISIL captured Qaraqosh in August 2014. Since then there have been reports of barbaric treatment of Christians in Qaraqosh and of ISIL committing atrocities against Muslims, Christians, Yezidis, Turkmen and other communities throughout the areas under their control. We condemn all such atrocities and violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. The UK Government has been working closely with our international partners on countering the threat of ISIL. We have been at the forefront of efforts at the UN and the EU and we are playing a key role in the Global Coalition to counter ISIL. We are taking military and political action, as well as discrediting ISIL’s poisonous ideology, cutting off its finances, tackling foreign fighters and by providing nearly £60 million of aid to Iraqis displaced by the fighting.Asked by: Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party - Argyll and Bute)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Government has spent on operations in support of Iraqi troops in each month since April 2009.
Answered by Michael Fallon
Between 30 April 2009 and 22 May 2011, small numbers of UK personnel were involved in training Iraqi Armed Forces under the NATO Training Mission-Iraq, and bilaterally with the Iraqi Navy. These net additional costs can not be separately identified from the costs associated with our broader presence in the Gulf during that period.
From May 2011 to August 2014, no additional support was provided beyond routine engagement by the Defence Section in Baghdad.
The net additional costs of operations in support of Iraqi forces since August 2014 can not be separately identified from the costs of the broader countering ISIL activity in Iraq and Syria. These costs between August 2014 and 31 March 2015 were around £45 million, met from the Deployed Military Activity Pool and the HM Treasury Special Reserve, In addition, the replenishment cost of munitions expended in that period was approximately £35 million - the weapons will be replaced in financial year 2015-16.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long the deployment of army personnel to Iraq to provide training to the Iraqi security forces is planned to last.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
The Government has been clear that dealing with this threat will take time and patience. Our intention is to provide support to the Iraqi Government whilst the Iraqi Government still requests it and we believe it to be needed.