Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with (a) the US and (b) other international partners to help (i) tackle the destabilisation of the Nineveh Plains by Iranian-backed militias and (ii) ensure the protection of (A) Christians and (B) other vulnerable communities in that region.

HMA Baghdad regularly engages with diplomatic colleagues in Iraq on a variety of topics, including the destabilising effects of militias in Iraq. It is vital that these groups are kept in line. We are closely monitoring the impact of developments in Nineveh on the safety of the region's Christian community, as well as other vulnerable communities.

The UK is firmly committed to protecting the Christian community and other ethnic and religious minorities and are strong advocates of greater Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Iraq. We regularly engage with the Government on this issue, in particular the importance that minorities are included in national and local government as well as reconciliation efforts.