Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on alleged Russian intervention in Syria; and whether he has taken diplomatic steps in response to that alleged intervention.

We have repeatedly condemned Russia and the Syrian regime's targeting of schools, hospitals and emergency first responders in north-west Syria, as described by the UN Commission of Inquiry and the UN Board of Inquiry. On 19 August we expressed our deep concern to the UN Security Council at further airstrikes by Russian and regime forces and again called on all parties to respect agreed ceasefires and international humanitarian law. We continue to support UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which calls for a nationwide ceasefire as part of a political process, as the only way to end the Syrian conflict. UK Government officials also continue to raise these concerns with their Russian counterparts.