Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of Iraq on movement of Iraqi Government troops and pro-Iraqi Government militias into Kirkuk; and what steps he has taken to promote dialogue on a democratic future in Kurdistan.

We are monitoring the situation in Northern Iraq closely, including in Kirkuk. We are working with the United States, the UN and our Coalition partners to urge all parties to continue to take steps to de-escalate the situation, coordinate security arrangements and avoid violence.

I discussed the situation with the Iraqi Foreign and Interior Ministers on 17 October. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Prime Minister Abadi on 19 and 29 October, and to Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani on 29 October. On all of these occasions we made it clear that we support Iraq's unity and territorial integrity, and that the long-term security and prosperity of all Iraqis can only be met through dialogue and cooperation. The Foreign Secretary also underlined to Prime Minister Barzani the importance of Kurdish parties resolving their differences.