Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to the Syrian opposition to assist delivery of essential services.

In the current financial year, the UK has allocated £27 million of non-humanitarian aid to support the work of the National Coalition and Interim Government, local councils, non-government organisations, civil society, media and human rights activists in Syria. We are providing a range of support to Syrians to help save lives, bolster civil society, counter extremism, promote human rights and accountability, deliver basic governance and help lay the foundations for a more peaceful and inclusive future for Syria.

As part of this, in the past 12 months the Government has provided £2.3 million in support for local governance in opposition-controlled areas in Syria. This funding has enabled the training of local officials to help them ensure the provision of essential services to ordinary Syrians in their towns and villages, including vital infrastructure repair and rehabilitation projects which meet the needs of local people. We plan for this project to continue for at least one more year. The UK is committed to helping the Syrian people who continue to suffer after more than three years of conflict.