Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to lift sanctions on Syria, given the recent earthquake.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will continue to play a leading role in the humanitarian response in Syria, particularly following the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. On 8 February, the Government announced a substantial package of life saving support to affected areas.
Sanctions play an indispensable role holding the Asad regime to account for their most egregious actions. We will not lift them until the regime has changed its behaviour. UK and UN trade sanctions do not target humanitarian activity, medical supplies or food: they provide for a range of humanitarian exceptions and licensing grounds specifically to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid. Russia and the regime have previously hindered cross-border aid access, which could compound the humanitarian impact of this earthquake.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 promote lasting peace in Syria.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK uses its UN Security Council role to advance the UN-facilitated political process in line with UNSCR 2254. We support the work of UN Special Envoy to this effect, and are working with him to develop his 'step for step' approach to making progress. The Assad regime and its backers remain intransigent; we urge them to engage in good faith.
Lasting peace requires accountability. We pursue this through sanctions; raising awareness of crimes committed in Syria; and support for evidence-gathering, including through the UN Commission of Inquiry; the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria; and UK programme partners.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend their list of proscribed terrorist organisations to include the Wagner Group.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.
Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to proscribe the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.
Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to lift all unilateral sanctions on Syria as requested by the UN’s Special Rapporteur for Sanctions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will not consider lifting sanctions in Syria until the Assad regime ceases brutalising its own people and regularly committing atrocities and violations of international law, evidenced by the UN Commission of Inquiry ongoing reports. UK sanctions are designed to hold the regime to account, and encourage Assad to engage in the UN-facilitated political process. Our designations are carefully targeted, and applied only where there is ample evidence to demonstrate culpability. To guard against unintentional impact on civilians, UK sanctions include humanitarian provisions, such as licensing grounds and exceptions. We also engage with international NGOs to minimise over-compliance.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential use by Russia in Ukraine of weapons systems provided by (a) Iran, (b) China, (c) North Korea and (d) Syria.
Answered by James Heappey
Russia has increasingly struggled to secure critical inputs and technologies needed for its war against Ukraine as a result of unprecedented sanctions and export controls imposed by our broad coalition of partners and allies. The Government is committed to working with allies to isolate Russia further, and we will collectively hold any foreign state accountable on the provision of weapon systems to Russia for potential use against Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when their plans to grant enhanced trading status to eight developing countries including Syria will come into effect; and whether this will help the reconstruction of war damage in Syria, in particular to (1) schools, (2) hospitals, and (3) homes.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Developing Countries Trading Scheme is expected to come into force in early 2023 and will include enhanced preferential tariffs for eight countries including Syria. Robust sanctions will ensure that where this changes trade with Syria, the regime will not benefit.
The UK has committed over £3.8 billion to the Syria crisis. We will not provide long-term reconstruction assistance without a commitment to a political process from the regime.
We will continue to offer significant humanitarian and early recovery support so ordinary Syrians have the means to build a better future, including through programmes such as the Syria Education Project.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the level of threat posed to UK (a) security and (b) regional interests by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We do not routinely comment on intelligence matters or specific threats. As we made clear in the 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, we are committed to addressing growing threats from Iran, as well as other states. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect the UK and our interests from any Iran-linked threats.
The UK Government has long been clear about its concerns over the continued destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This includes IRGC political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the destabilising activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. We regularly raise Iran's destabilising role in the region at UN Security Council.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the funding of (1) the Iranian Foundation Bonyad Taavon Basij, and (2) the Basij Resistance force; and what assessment they have made of the reported use of child soldiers by that force.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Should the deal in Vienna be concluded, the UK would not lift any sanctions. The UK maintains a number of sanctions consistent with the nuclear deal, including sanctions related to human rights, proliferation and terrorism. The full UK Sanctions List is available on the GOV.UK website (www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list), which provides details of those individuals and entities designated under sanctions regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. We keep all regimes and designations under close review.
The UK will continue to condemn the IRGC's destabilising regional activities and maintains a range of sanctions aimed at deterring such behaviour. This includes IRGC political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, and militias in Iraq. The UK stands firmly against recruitment and use of child soldiers in conflict, as outlined by the Paris Principles which the government has endorsed.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what sanctions, if any, they have placed on the Central Bank of Iran and the National Development Fund; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of those sanctions; what assessment they have made of the possibility of lifting those sanctions in a re-negotiated Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran (JCPOA); and what assessment they have made of the reported funding by those entities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds Force, and Hezbollah.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Should the deal in Vienna be concluded, the UK would not lift any sanctions. The UK maintains a number of sanctions consistent with the nuclear deal, including sanctions related to human rights, proliferation and terrorism. The full UK Sanctions List is available on the GOV.UK website (www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list), which provides details of those individuals and entities designated under sanctions regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act. We keep all regimes and designations under close review.
The UK will continue to condemn the IRGC's destabilising regional activities and maintains a range of sanctions aimed at deterring such behaviour. This includes IRGC political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups including Hizballah in Lebanon and Syria, and militias in Iraq. The UK stands firmly against recruitment and use of child soldiers in conflict, as outlined by the Paris Principles which the government has endorsed.