Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to work with European partners to support post-conflict stabilisation work in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The situation is Syria remains fluid and fragile. We want to see a more stable Syria and are working closely with international partners, including European partners, to this end. Following the Foreign Secretary's public statement on 9 March, I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10 March that the interim authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition.
Our priorities are to support an inclusive, Syrian-led political transition that leads to a representative and non-sectarian government, tackle security threats, including from Daesh, and support economic recovery. On 6 March, we announced the relaxation of sanctions on some Syrian entities in the transport, energy and finance sectors, as part of our efforts to help the people of Syria to rebuild their country and economy.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 4 February (HL4182), which states were sanctioned for conflict-related sexual violence sanctions in (1) December 2022, (2) March 2023, (3) June 2023, and (4) February 2024.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has designated fourteen perpetrators of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV) related crimes since 2022. These include perpetrators in Mali, Myanmar, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These designations under the UK Global Human Rights sanctions regime are narrowly targeted at individuals and groups for their involvement in CRSV.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on dismantling sanctions in support of the new regime in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary stated in Parliament on 14 January, we are currently reviewing our Syria sanctions.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it her policy to seize UK-based assets of Bashar al-Assad and redirect the funds to Syrian civil society.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
After decades of atrocities committed by the Assad regime, we stand with the people of Syria.
UK-based assets of the Assad regime remain frozen. As with all our sanctions, we keep our approach under review. We do not comment on future designations as to do so lessens their potential impact.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help strengthen the UK-US relationship.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United States is an indispensable ally and the Foreign Secretary is deeply committed to strengthening the UK-US relationship. In September, he hosted the first UK-US Strategic Dialogue with his counterpart Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Our department is in constant dialogue with the US on everything we do, from sanctions to Syria - the Foreign Secretary last spoke to Secretary Blinken last weekend. Next month, the US will have a new Administration. The Foreign Secretary has met and developed relationships with many senior Republicans, including meeting with President-elect Trump with the Prime Minister in September for dinner. We are looking forward to working with the new Administration when they take office.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the United States’ designation of Fawaz Al-Akhras for materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Bashar Al-Assad.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's priority is to work closely with our allies, including the US, to prevent instability in Syria, ensure civilians are protected and provide humanitarian assistance to those who need it, while shaping an inclusive and peaceful transfer of power following the fall of Assad's brutal regime. The FCDO keeps all sanctions listings and evidence under close review.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the (a) identification and (b) destruction of Captagon production facilities in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the growth of the Captagon industry, which as well as enriching the former Assad regime is fuelling regional instability and generating vast revenues for criminal gangs and armed groups in Syria and across the region. We are working with international partners, including partners in the region, to raise awareness of the risks posed by Captagon. The UK has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals involved in facilitating the Captagon industry in Syria.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) identify and (b) destroy Captagon (i) production and (ii) distribution facilities in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the growth of the Captagon industry, which as well as enriching the former Assad regime, is fuelling regional instability and generating vast revenues for criminal gangs and armed groups in Syria and across the region. We are working with international partners, including partners in the region, to raise awareness of the risks posed by Captagon. The UK has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals involved in facilitating the Captagon industry in Syria.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 in encouraging the Syrian regime to (a) refrain from actions, policies or activities which repress the civilian population and (b) participate in negotiations in good faith to reach a negotiated political settlement to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria; and how frequently his Department reviews those regulations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sanctions are one of the levers used to hold the Assad regime to account for the atrocities committed in Syria and it is right the UK has a robust sanctions regime in place. They target individuals and entities where there is evidence of their involvement in repressing the Syrian civilian population or have provided support to or benefitted from the Assad regime. Sanctions have significantly weakened both the capability and legitimacy of the Assad regime. The FCDO remains closely engaged across Government, with non-governmental organisations, and Syrian civil society to monitor their impact on the Syrian population. In concert with these efforts, the UK actively uses its leadership in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and Human Rights Council to draw attention to human rights abuses and push for a political settlement as laid out in UNSC Resolution 2254.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 on human rights in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sanctions are one of the levers used to hold the Assad regime to account for the atrocities committed in Syria and it is right the UK has a robust sanctions regime in place. They target individuals and entities where there is evidence of their involvement in repressing the Syrian civilian population or have provided support to or benefitted from the Assad regime. Sanctions have significantly weakened both the capability and legitimacy of the Assad regime. The FCDO remains closely engaged across Government, with non-governmental organisations, and Syrian civil society to monitor their impact on the Syrian population. In concert with these efforts, the UK actively uses its leadership in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and Human Rights Council to draw attention to human rights abuses and push for a political settlement as laid out in UNSC Resolution 2254.