Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of aid bridges to deliver aid to civilians in Syria.

We continue to look at all options, compliant with international law, to alleviate the suffering of millions of Syrians. A pre-requisite for successful aid bridges is consent from all parties controlling the air space. The Assad regime and Russia have systematically denied humanitarian access to besieged populations by land and have refused consent for air bridges of supplies to opposition-held besieged areas.