Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect persecuted Christians in Syria.

We are closely monitoring the treatment of all civilians in Syria, including those from the Christian community. In my Statement in Parliament on 10 March, and in the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, we made clear that the interim authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians. I raised this with the Syrian Interim Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, on 17 March, we consistently emphasise the need for a Syrian-led political transition that leads to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government.