Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the treatment of Christians in Iraq.

​We remain gravely concerned by the appalling crimes committed by Daesh against all faiths in Iraq, including Christians, Mandeans, Yezidis and others, as well as the majority Muslim population. We are aware of the strength of feeling on this matter in parliament and in the UK.

I last discussed human rights issues with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari at the UK-Iraq annual bilateral Joint Commission on 12 October. There is a growing body of evidence that terrible crimes have been committed by Daesh in Iraq. That includes recent unverified UN reports of Daesh crimes against the citizens of Mosul and its surrounds as military operations to free the city and its people are taking place. We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister Abadi has made to inclusivity, to protecting all Iraqi citizens regardless of their faith, to investigate all allegations of human rights abuses and violations and to hold those responsible to account.