Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Ukraine regarding the wellbeing of Solomiya Spence who was taken to that country by her mother in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government takes international parental child abduction (IPCA) very seriously and we recognise the distress of all those affected. While we cannot comment on the details of specific cases publicly without consent, when a British child has been abducted and taken overseas, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) support can include signposting to partner organisations, providing help to families with contacting the relevant authorities abroad, expressing our interest in a case with the overseas government and asking about progress, where appropriate. The FCDO has also published guidance to assist parents affected by IPCA: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/international-parental-child-abduction
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to Ian Spence regarding his daughter Solomiya who was taken to Ukraine by her mother in July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government takes international parental child abduction (IPCA) very seriously and we recognise the distress of all those affected. While we cannot comment on the details of specific cases publicly without consent, when a British child has been abducted and taken overseas, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) support can include signposting to partner organisations, providing help to families with contacting the relevant authorities abroad, expressing our interest in a case with the overseas government and asking about progress, where appropriate. The FCDO has also published guidance to assist parents affected by IPCA: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/international-parental-child-abduction
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Iraq; and what steps they are taking to support freedom of religion or belief in Iraq.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. We demonstrate this through our engagement, both multilaterally and bilaterally. For example, earlier this month, UK Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, attended the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council and met with counterparts to discuss key issues.
In Iraq, we recognise that continued insecurity is challenging for its religious and ethnic minorities. Through our diplomatic presence, we regularly raise FoRB with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We also support civil society groups to freely advocate on behalf of minority groups.
FoRB-specific goals are also threaded throughout British Embassy Baghdad's and British Consulate General Erbil's programme work. We are careful to ensure that these focus on local cohesion and minimise the risk of inadvertently exacerbating community divisions.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat to religious minorities in Iraq from Daesh and its affiliates.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is disappointed that minority communities in Iraq, including Christians and Yazidis, continue to report cases of discrimination, intimidation, and harassment by armed groups. These cases can be exacerbated by their political underrepresentation, limited routes for redress, and protracted displacement.
This is why our programmes, through the UK Integrated Security Fund, tackle the key drivers of instability and aim to support a more accountable, capable, and inclusive society, through effective governance structures.
For example, in 2023, we implemented a £15,000 programme in Bashiqa, in Nineveh Province (an area still recovering from the impacts of Daesh), to improve religious tolerance and social cohesion, through initiatives focussed on arts and culture. This was implemented by The Lotus Flower, a charity supporting women and girls impacted by conflict and displacement, with funding from the UK's John Bunyan Fund for Freedom of Religion and Belief.
Reducing the threat from Daesh and preventing a Daesh resurgence remains a top priority in our relationship with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support people in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq who are internally displaced because of the threat posed by Daesh.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK continues to collaborate with the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the international humanitarian community as we collectively seek durable solutions (led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) for those displaced and living in insecure conditions.
Through the International Organization for Migration, the UK is contributing to the immediate stabilisation of those who remain internally displaced by funding quick impact projects and livelihood support activities. For example, we have provided the UN funding facility for stabilisation with £32 million, to restore vital public services such as utilities and education across liberated areas of Iraq. The UK also provides funding to the office of the UN durable solutions adviser to lead the UN's strategic coordination efforts.
We will always strive to ensure that internally displaced persons in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, are protected and that their returns can be safe, dignified, and voluntary.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support survivors of Daesh crimes in Iraq.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK strongly lobbied the Government of Iraq to pass the Yazidi Survivors' Law in March 2021. As a ground-breaking piece of legislation, this represented an important first step towards accountability and justice for survivors of Daesh violence. These survivors are predominantly minority women, who suffered from crimes such as conflict-related sexual violence and domestic servitude.
The UK is funding the General Directorate of Survivors' Affairs with £340,000 over three years (2022/23-2024/25), through the International Organization for Migration. This funding will support the law's full, and survivor-centred, implementation. It will also further develop capacity for Daesh accountability and help survivors access mental health and psychosocial support and rebuild their lives.
Furthermore, the UK will continue to work with Iraq and international partners to ensure that Daesh are held accountable for the crimes they have committed, following the closure in September 2024 of the United Nations investigative team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Daesh.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposed changes to the Personal Status Law on the rights of women and children in Iraq.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK continues to assess the implications for minorities', women's and children's rights following the amendment to Iraq's Personal Status Law was passed by Iraq's Parliament on 21 January. We have long emphasised the importance of any legislative change to be compatible with Iraq's international obligations.
We urge all our partners to uphold international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq on the case for legislation that protects children, especially girls, from the harmful impacts of early marriage.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is committed to protecting women and girls' rights and supports projects that strengthen women-led organisations, support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and increase women's participation in political life.
Through our diplomatic presence, we regularly encourage the Iraqi authorities' role in safeguarding the human rights for all. Countering the rollback of and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of the UK's programming and policy work in Iraq. Following successful lobbying by the UK and our international partners, the amendment to the Personal Status Law maintained the same age of marriage as the current law (18, with 15 on exception).
We urge all our partners to uphold international norms, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they provide assistance to parliamentarians visiting Iraqi Kurdistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can support parliamentarians' visits overseas that support parliamentary business and the UK's objectives. An appropriate level of assistance from the FCDO is dependent on resource implications and capacity issues of individual missions, including the British Consulate General in Erbil.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through Official Development Assistance to support the rights of women and girls in Iraq, including in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Countering the rollback of and promoting the rights of women and girls is a key focus of the UK's programming and policy work in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Alongside Official Development Assistance (ODA), programmes are also delivered through the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF), which is funded through both ODA and non-ODA sources.
While the £2.7 million Women's Voices First programme completed in May 2024, its second phase will provide up to £5 million further over the next 3 years. This continued UKISF programme helps to strengthen grassroots Iraqi women's rights organisations and women-led organisations, advances locally led approaches, and contributes to inclusive peace and security in communities, across Federal Iraq and the KRI.
The UK is also funding the International Organisation for Migration to provide capacity building support to the General Directorate of Survivors Affairs, and to civil society organisations, to advance the Yazidi Survivors' Law and deliver mental health and psychosocial support for Yazidi and other minority survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
In addition, the UK also helps to advance family planning and sexual and reproductive health initiatives through the £14 million Demographic Transition in Iraq project.