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76577

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the call by UNICEF for the freeing of 140 Kurdish school boys recently abducted in Northern Syria, they intend to take steps to assist their release.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL921
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2014 answer text <p>The UK is deeply concerned by reports of the abduction of Kurdish children by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Such actions are utterly appalling and we call for their immediate release. These actions demonstrate to the world the true nature of this vicious terrorist organisation.</p><p>Tackling extremists in Syria is a priority, and we are stepping up our support for the moderate opposition groups who are fighting them, and helping the neighbouring countries respond to this growing security threat. Finding a political settlement to the crisis is more pressing than ever, so that groups such as ISIL cannot take advantage of the conflict to expand their influence.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 21/07/2014 11:56:53 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

76612

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of President Assad’s re-election by the Syrian people, whether they intend to amend their stance on the Presidency of Syria as described in the answer by Baroness Warsi on 1 July (WA 253); and, if not, why not.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>The UK remains committed to finding a political settlement to the Syria crisis. President Assad is the greatest obstacle to such a settlement. He refused to engage substantively in the UN Security Council-backed Geneva II peace talks which aimed to establish a transitional government agreed by both sides, and lay the foundations for free and fair elections. Instead, his regime’s brutality continues to fuel the conflict, stoke sectarian tensions, and create conditions conducive to the growth of terrorism. President Assad is not a credible partner for solving this crisis.</p><p>The regime’s recent Presidential “elections” do not change this. They were a parody of democracy, taking place against the backdrop of horrendous violence, and disenfranchising the many millions of Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes. The Arab League, the UN, the US, Turkey and the EU all rejected these so-called elections.</p><p>We continue to call on the Assad regime to make a clear commitment to ending the violence and engaging in substantive talks with the opposition under the Geneva framework. The UK will continue to support a strong and more inclusive opposition and work to increase pressure on the regime in order to create conditions for a political settlement that can end the conflict and address the terrorist threat.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 22/07/2014 14:39:08 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

79569

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security of the mainly Kurdish cantons of north and east Syria, and in particular of the risk of attacks by Islamic extremists.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL1467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2014 answer text <p>The Kurdish Democratic Party (PYD) in Syria and associated armed groupings have effectively been in control of most of the Kurdish areas in North-East Syria since they unilaterally declared autonomy in November 2013.</p><p>We are aware of reports of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (also known as ISIS – the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) attacks on Kurdish forces in Kobane and other areas in Northern and Eastern Syria. Reports suggest that the attacks in Kobane began on 7 July, and that ISIL has employed heavy weapons seized from Iraqi Security Forces. ISIL is a serious threat in Syria and Iraq. We remain concerned that their access to more sophisticated weaponry, a swelling of their ranks and improved morale will now place them in a stronger position to threaten all those in Syria, regardless of their affiliation. Primary responsibility for this situation lies with the Assad regime whose actions have fuelled extremism in Syria.</p><p>The UK remains committed to supporting the moderate opposition in Syria to bolster them against the regime and against the extremists, and to help bring about a political solution, which remains the only way to achieve a sustainable resolution to the crisis.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 30/07/2014 11:41:54 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

90925

	registered interest
	date	08/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they and their allies are taking to prevent the Syrian town of Mhardeh from falling to attacks by Islamist militants.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL1851
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2014 answer text <p>We are extremely concerned about the activities of Islamist extremists in Syria and the threat they pose to Christian communities in Mhardeh and elsewhere. Our response is to support the moderate opposition who are fighting both extremism and Assad’s tyranny. We are acting in close coordination with our international allies. We are also pushing for an inclusive political process which is the only long term way to protect Syria’s minority communities.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 22/09/2014 10:39:21 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

91814

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that all sides of the Syrian conflict adhere to the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2165 requiring all parties to cease indiscriminate attacks.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
	uin	HL1872
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned about indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Syria which contravene international law. The UK has consistently called upon all parties in the conflict to respect international law and played a leading role in initiating and securing the passing of UN Security Council Resolutions 2139 and 2165, which demand that all parties cease all attacks against civilians and comply fully with their obligations to protect civilians in armed conflict. The UN Independent Commission of Inquiry’s most recent report was clear that the Assad regime, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other extremist groups, were behind the majority of such attacks. On 25 September 2014, the UK and our partners secured a strong resolution at the UN Human Rights Council which demands that the Syrian authorities cooperate fully with the Commission of Inquiry.</p><p>In partnership with other donor countries, we have funded the collection of documentary evidence of human rights abuses to allow those responsible to be held accountable. We have also funded Law of Armed Conflict training to help armed groups understand their responsibilities and obligations under international law and international human rights standards. We welcome the commitment of the Syrian National Coalition and associated moderate armed groups to abide by these standards.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2014 13:31:18 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

91877

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which moderate rebel forces they are supporting in Syria; and whether they will set out the criteria by which those groups have been selected for support.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL1935
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The UK provides non-lethal assistance to units of the Free Syrian Army, which has close links to the Syrian National Coalition. Recipients of this assistance are carefully selected to ensure that assistance is not being given to those involved in extremist activities or human rights violations.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/10/2014 13:42:19 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

92418

	registered interest
	date	06/10/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they and their allies are taking to protect the Kurds of northern Syria from destruction by terrorist forces; and in particular, what is being done to prevent Kobane being taken by ISIL.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL1980
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>The situation in Kobane is deeply worrying. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), set out in an oral statement to Parliament on 26 September, Official Report, column 1255, the UK will tackle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) using all the resources at our disposal. These include humanitarian efforts, which Britain is already leading, aimed at helping those displaced by ISIL’s onslaught, and diplomatic efforts to engage the widest possible coalition of countries. There is now a coalition of over forty countries including a number of Arab countries. We support the air strikes being conducted by the US and the five Arab nations against ISIL in Syria.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 20/10/2014 13:13:34 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

77985

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what level of assistance his Department has provided to rebels in Syria; what form such support has taken; and what steps he is taking to prevent its misuse.
	tabling member constituency	Belfast North
	tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
	uin	205892
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2014 answer text <p>We have provided more than £20 million this year to support the moderate opposition, including the National Coalition who we recognise as the sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people. In May this year the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), laid a written ministerial statement before Parliament announcing the lifting of the temporary hold on gifting to the Supreme Military Council and the intention to resume delivery of £1 million of non-lethal equipment as soon as is practical. Recipients of this assistance have been carefully selected to prevent equipment being given to those involved in extremist activities or human rights violations. The UK is not supplying weapons to anybody in Syria. <br><br>The equipment we provide, including to the armed opposition groups, has undergone intense scrutiny to ensure that we are providing the best possible support and that we meet all our national and international obligations. The equipment has been scrutinised to ensure its provision is consistent with export controls under the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria and EU restrictions on the provision of goods to Syria (as agreed by Member States on 27 May 2013). <br><br>We have also supported the opposition’s political umbrella group, the National Coalition, with advisory and practical support. This has included strategic communications advice, and advice on internal governance arrangements. We have also supported the National Coalition’s delivery arm, the Interim Government, as they expand their plans to deliver services in opposition-held areas inside Syria. We have also funded a range of projects in support of civil society and activist groups both inside and outside Syria, which have included those documenting human rights abuses. The then Foreign Secretary announced in May that we would spend £30 million in support to the Syrian opposition and to bolster regional security.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 22/07/2014 12:35:52 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

90844

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government recognises President Assad as the legitimate head of state of Syria.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	208371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>Britain has a long standing policy of recognising States and not governments. Our position on Assad remains unchanged – he does not have legitimacy and should step aside in the interests of the Syrian people. Assad’s elections and inauguration were parodies of democracy, disenfranchising millions of Syrians and conducted in a way which fell far short of any international democratic standards.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 11:49:33 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

90105

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Syria
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian government since August 2013; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	North Down
	tabling member printed	Lady Hermon
	uin	207800
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2014 answer text <p>There is credible evidence of repeated chemical weapon attacks perpetrated by the Syrian regime since August 2013. The UK was among the first countries to call for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate these allegations. The OPCW Fact Finding Mission was subsequently established in April 2014 and its work is ongoing. Despite the difficulty of investigating these allegations in a conflict environment, the Mission’s May 2014 interim report stated that the available information “lends credence to the view that toxic chemicals, most likely pulmonary irritating agents such as chlorine, have been used in a systematic manner in a number of attacks”.</p><p>The August 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry report further stated that “Reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used...[and that]... those agents were dropped in barrel bombs from government helicopters flying overhead”. Any use of chemical agents in warfare contravenes the Chemical Weapon Convention, to which Syria acceded in September 2013. We will press for all those who use chemical weapons to be held to account for these war crimes.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 08/09/2014 15:00:39 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	1437 label Biography information for Lady Hermon