Iraq: Coalition Against ISIL Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Iraq: Coalition Against ISIL

Richard Burden Excerpts
Friday 26th September 2014

(10 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Richard Burden Portrait Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab)
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I am grateful—[Laughter.] We are both from Birmingham; we get everywhere.

I am grateful to the Prime Minister for giving way. Whether or not we are militarily involved in Syria, there is no doubt that the fighting in Syria has been and is intensifying, which means that the humanitarian crisis that has already been unfolding in Syria will also intensify. For example, there have been more than 650 major impact strikes on Aleppo since February. This will require new ways of getting humanitarian aid in. What preparations are being made for that, because the current arrangements need to be stepped up, and who are the Prime Minister and the international community co-operating with to ensure that that aid gets in?

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. We have a very advanced aid programme. Britain is the second biggest bilateral donor. We have been providing more aid across the border, and we are working with all the international partners, as expected. That includes, this week, increasing our aid contribution to make sure that that happens.