Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 1 August 2025 (HL9685), what assessment they have made of reports since of abductions, disappearances and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls from minority communities in Syria, in particular from the Alawite community; and what recent representations they have made to the Syrian authorities about this.

The UK firmly supports the documentation and investigation of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Syria. We remain concerned about allegations around forced abduction, and we have consistently emphasised to the Syrian Government that civilians must be protected from violence, and those responsible held to account. Over half of UK humanitarian programming in Syria was focussed on women and girls in FY 2024/25 with 271,000 women reached with VAWG-related support.

On the international stage, during the UK's UN Security Council Presidency in February, we focused on the rights of women and girls, delivering a joint statement calling for women's full, equal and meaningful participation and an end to discriminatory Assad-era laws. The UK continues to engage with both the Government of Syria and civil society to press for a genuine political transition that protects the rights of all Syrians, including women.