Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Foreign Secretary on 1 November, whether they received independent verification of the claim that the White Helmets had saved 115,000 civilians in Syria; and whether that claim was supported by Mayday Rescue.

The number of 115,000 lives saved is compiled by Syria Civil Defence (SCD), popularly known as the White Helmets, based on operational reports from the SCD volunteer teams and corroborated with video evidence, airstrike data and other reporting from multiple sources including human rights organisations. The number is indeed supported by Mayday Rescue, which is funded by the UK and other donors to provide support to the SCD's work. The UK and other donors also commission independent third party monitoring of the SCD's work in Syria.