Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for UK foreign policy of the political situation in Kurdistan since the referendum in that region on 25 September 2017.

We regret the Kurdish referendum on independence and continue to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. Any political process towards independence should be agreed with the Government of Iraq. We are urging all parties, including Iraq’s neighbours, to maintain calm and avoid statements and actions that could be perceived as inflammatory, particularly in light of events in Kirkuk. Iraq’s future lies in dialogue.