Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Iraq concerning the restitution and restoration of churches desecrated by ISIS in Mosul; and what measures are being taken to protect returning minorities.

We consistently underline to the Federal Government in Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil the importance of upholding and protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all minority communities, including Christians. When the Prime Minister visited Iraq on 29 November she made clear that as Iraq rebuilds, and its peoples reconcile, all Iraqis’ human rights and fundamental freedoms must be respected, protected and promoted. She also emphasised to Prime Minister Abadi that families must be able to return home and rebuild their lives – when it is safe to do so - supported by the prospect of genuine reconciliation. I reinforced these messages during my visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on 2-4 March and called on Iraqi parliamentarians to publically condemn acts of violence against minorities.