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Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench) on Monday, 27 March 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 April 2017. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Wednesday, 5 April 2017 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Islamic State

Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for a British political, diplomatic and intelligence presence in north and north-east Syria to support the struggle against Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

Answer

​The British Embassy in Damascus suspended all services in March 2012. Diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from Syria because of the deteriorating political and security situation. We continue to advise against all travel to Syria.

UK officials at the British Embassies in Beirut and Amman and the Consul General in Istanbul follow developments in Syria closely, as do staff in London. We meet a wide range of Syrian representatives, including from north-east Syria. As a leading member of the Global Coalition, we also work closely with coalition partners in the fight against Daesh, routinely consulting on all aspects of the campaign to defeat Daesh.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL6323
Session
2016-17
Subjects
Armed conflict Iraq Syria Islamic State
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk