Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the governments of (1) Russia, and (2) Syria, to allow food and medical supplies into Eastern Ghouta.

The UK has repeatedly urged Russia bilaterally and in other multilateral fora to use its influence with the Asad regime to ensure that it allows rapid, unimpeded and sustained UN-led humanitarian access to deliver urgently needed food and medical supplies to Eastern Ghouta, and that it adheres to the ceasefire demanded by UN Security Council Resolution 2401. On 27 February, the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan, met the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Alexander Yakovenko, stressing UK concern at the current situation in Syria, particularly the crisis in Eastern Ghouta. The Foreign Secretary also wrote to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on 27 February regarding the crisis in Eastern Ghouta and urging Russia to uphold its commitments to ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 2401 is implemented in full. The UK also raised its concerns with Russia on 7 March in the UN Security Council.

We have had no direct contact with the Syrian regime about Eastern Ghouta but we have used our position in the UN Security Council to call upon the regime to cease its campaign of violence, to protect civilians and allow rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all.