Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Yazidis have been resettled to the UK from (a) Iraq and (b) Syria in each year since 2014.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The UK partners with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to resettle refugees in accordance with their standard resettlement criteria.

Individual ethnic and religious backgrounds are not part of this consideration, and the Home Office does not therefore collate or publish this information.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department's International Humanitarian Law Compliance Assessment Process last made an assessment of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has carried out regular International Humanitarian Law assessments since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October 2023. Our assessments are continuous and the latest is due to be finalised before the end of the month.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral answer by the Minister for the Middle East to the hon. Member to Islington North of 14 May 2025, Official Report, column 354, which international obligations he was referring to in his answer.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Criterion 1 of the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria requires respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments. We have carefully collated, reviewed and assessed relevant evidence concerning the Gaza conflict. The action we have taken, as announced to Parliament, is consistent with all our legal obligations, including those under the Arms Trade Treaty and Genocide Convention, and we remain wholly committed to international law.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan) in response to the question from the hon. Member for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber, during the Urgent Question on Gaza: UK Assessment of 14 May 2025, Official Report, column 353, if he will specify (a) which responsibilities under international law and (b) what type of assessments he was referring to; and on what date did his Department last conduct one of these assessments.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is the Government's long-standing position that any determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies. This case is ongoing, and we await their decision.

As soon as the Foreign Secretary took office, he ordered a review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), to meet the statutory obligation, set out under the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. This assessment found that there were possible breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the areas of treatment of detainees and humanitarian access and relief and that there was a clear risk that UK export items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law. The Government therefore suspended all relevant licences for export to Israel on 2 September 2024, except for exports to the global F-35 programme. Our IHL assessments continue regularly, and recent assessments have maintained this position. Ultimately it is for a court to decide if a breach has occurred.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Iraqi counterpart on the (a) return and (b) long-term settlement of Yazidi communities displaced by ISIS; and what steps he is taking to support justice mechanisms for survivors of religious persecution.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Ministers have not discussed these issues with the Iraqi government recently, but our Embassy in Baghdad has regular contact with Iraqi ministers and officials on this topic. Most recently, the deputy head of mission met the Iraqi Prime Minister's adviser on Yazidi affairs on 24 April and spoke about implementation of the Sinjar agreement and progress in the areas reconstruction - both vital for the safe return of Yazidis to the Sinjar province.

Regarding justice mechanisms, the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) was a key pillar of the international community's commitment to hold Daesh accountable for international crimes over seven years. It made significant contributions to addressing the legacy of Daesh in Iraq, including the generation of high-quality evidence which has supported trials in third countries, and its capacity-building of Iraq's judicial system. We considered several proposals of how best to take this issue forward after UNITAD's closure in September 2024 and did push for a resolution in the council, but this did not reach required level of support in the United Nations Security Council.

Christian persecution in Niger State, Nigeria

Christian persecution in Taraba State, Nigeria

Christian persecution in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Christian persecution in Borno State, Nigeria

Scottish bathing water quality

Nablus

150th Anniversary of the Founding of Bracoden School, Banffshire

Christian persecution in Kebbi State, Nigeria

UK Government recognition of the state of Palestine

Israel’s interception of the British-flagged Madleen boat

Madleen Freedom Flotilla Ship

Found: Brendan O'Hara: I very much appreciate you hearing this so quickly after application.

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Leadbitter Kirsty Blackman Stephen Flynn Dave Doogan Stephen Gethins Chris Law Pete Wishart Brendan O'Hara

Found: Transition PartnershipJust Transition2025-02-05 00:00:00Meeting / with MPGraham Leadbitter MP and Brendan O'Hara