Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 5 December (HL Deb, cols 1014–16) that “there cannot be a meaningful discussion about how to begin the reconstruction, because that requires a government we can deal with, and we do not have one at the moment”, whether they are seeking regime change in Syria.

Syria needs an inclusive government that can protect the rights of all Syrians and unite the country. We are pragmatic about how this can be achieved, and ultimately Syria’s future must be for Syrians to decide. We continue to support the UN-led Geneva process which remains the best forum for reaching a lasting political settlement to end the conflict in Syria.