Oral Answers to Questions

James Morris Excerpts

Monday 19th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)]

4. What assessment his Department has made of progress in defeating ISIL.

[James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)]

11. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK contribution to international efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL.

[Sir Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire) (Con)]

18. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK contribution to international efforts to degrade and defeat ISIL.

--- Later in debate ---

[Michael Fallon]

Some of the military operations—the strikes—have changed the pattern of refining. ISIL appears now to be getting some of its oil from small-scale wells rather than the larger refineries, some of which have been put out of commission, but we are intensifying our efforts internationally to make sure that where ISIL is attempting to sell oil, it is not able to gain the proceeds from it.

[James Morris]

ISIL poses a direct threat to our national interest as well as threatening the stability of the middle east, and Britain should not be a bit-part player in combating ISIL on the ground. Does the Secretary of State agree that the time has come for Britain to extend its military operations beyond Iraq to take on ISIL in Syria?

[Michael Fallon]

I agree with my hon. Friend that ISIL has to be defeated in both Iraq and Syria, and we support the air strikes being conducted by the coalition against ISIL in Syria—air strikes which are now being carried out by Australian and French as well as American aircraft. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, there is a very strong case for us to be doing more in Syria to deal with the heartland of ISIL—its command and control—but we will only return to Parliament for authority to do so when we have established a sufficient consensus here in this Parliament.