Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Iraqi Government and (b) Kurdish Regional Government on (i) resolving the teachers’ dispute and (ii) protecting workers' rights in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Through the UK's diplomatic engagements with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), we continue to encourage greater cooperation to resolve outstanding issues. This includes disputes between Baghdad and Erbil around federal budget allocations and salary payments.

The UK is aware that payments of KRG civil servants' salaries have been missed, and that this has led to continued teachers' protests. This is despite a ruling by Iraq's Federal Supreme Court last year, which mandated that the salaries of KRG civil servants, including teachers, must be paid by Baghdad.

Our Ambassador in Baghdad, and our Consul General in Erbil continue to advocate for greater workers' rights and employment protections across Iraq, and a resolution to this dispute.