As a close ally and partner, we regularly discuss the situation in northern Syria and northern Iraq with the Turkish government. Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the PKK. We have encouraged Turkey to work closely with Global Coalition partners, the Iraqi government and Kurdistan Region of Iraq in order to combat terrorist organisations like the PKK and Daesh.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Turkey has a legitimate right to defend itself against the PKK. We regret the reported death and injury of several members of the Peshmerga from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

​We are committed to ensuring that those responsible for the most serious crimes of international concern in Iraq and Syria are held to account. The new International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria, which we co-sponsored, will help collate the necessary evidence for future prosecutions. This complements our support to the existing UN Commission of Inquiry and our funding for the collection of documentary evidence. Meanwhile, investigative and prosecutorial work is already underway across the world to bring Daesh to justice. We are working with the Government of Iraq and other international partners to identify ways to take this work forward, including at the UN, as well as funding projects and specialist organisations to gather and preserve evidence of Daesh atrocities.

We engage regularly with the Government of Iraq at all levels on ensuring the safe return of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including those from religious and ethnic minorities. We are working with the Government of Iraq and local authorities to improve the situation on the ground so that it is safe for people to return. That includes clearing Daesh from all remaining territory and addressing the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

​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 Diplomatic personnel were withdrawn from Syria because of the deteriorating political and security situation.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.

The recent discovery of the mass grave in Khasfa provides further evidence of the appalling crimes Daesh have committed against the people of Iraq. We are committed to bringing Daesh to justice for these crimes. Investigative and prosecutorial work is already underway across the world. We are working closely with the Government of Iraq and other international partners to identify further ways to take this work forward, including at the UN.

​We are aware of localised conflict on 3 March between Kurdish groups in Sinjar which resulted in seven fatalities. The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) moved to contain the risk of escalation and calm was quickly restored. Due to the clash, a number of families from the surrounding area of Khanh Sor fled to Sinjar Mountain. The UN is assessing the situation and considering whether any assistance is required. We are monitoring the situation carefully and are in close contact with the Government in Baghdad, the KRG, and the Provincial Government in Ninewa Province.

The Government is committed to ensuring there is no impunity for the heinous crimes committed by Daesh, as shown by the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson)'s launching of the Global Bringing Daesh to Justice campaign.

We expect all suspected Daesh fighters to be processed by the Iraqi authorities in accordance with Iraqi law. We also expect the Iraqi authorities to inform us if they arrest any British National. Once notified of a detained British National, we will provide consular assistance on a case by case basis in the usual way.

The £9.25 million UK pledge to the UN's Funding for Immediate Stabilisation (FFIS) originally included funding allocated to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Integrated Reconciliation Programme. At the request of the UNDP, who are responsible for the management of the FFIS and Reconciliation projects, this has now been created as a standalone project. The UK has delivered more than our initial pledge to this Reconciliation project. Therefore, the UK's revised commitment to the FFIS is £8.82 million and the UK has so far delivered approximately 76% of this and the remainder will be delivered in the coming months.

The UK's Magna Carta Programme in financial year 2015-2016 spent £115,000 in Iraq, which represented 1% of the programme's total spend. That money helped deliver an education programme on religious freedom to Iraqi schools, as well as a training course on international law and freedom of religion or belief to religious leaders, human rights advocates, academics and journalists. In financial year 2016-2017, there is no Magna Carta project focused solely on Iraq, but a £153,000 project (1.44% of the total fund) will promote legal and social protection for freedom of religion or belief across the region – including in Iraq.

There are a large number of evidence collection projects operating in Iraq. These projects are collecting various types of evidence, of a variety of crimes, to differing legal standards. This work needs to be better coordinated to ensure all evidence is collected to court-ready standards and to ensure that gaps in evidence collection are filled. Through the 'Bringing Daesh to Justice' campaign we are looking at ways to address this need.

We continue to engage with international partners, including the US, on the need to gather and preserve evidence of Daesh crimes. It is too early, and not for the UK and US alone, to judge the most appropriate way to prosecute those responsible for crimes of international concern.

The Government takes any allegations of human rights abuses or violations extremely seriously and stands ready to challenge governments on these allegations. These are grave allegations made by Human Rights Watch and we stand ready to raise concerns with the Kurdistan Regional Government. We are currently working with the European Union Delegation in Kurdistan, other local diplomatic missions and Human Rights Watch to better understand the allegations. Once this process has been completed we will consider what further action will follow.

​We have concerns with Article 26 of the National Identity Card Law as it limits an individual’s freedom of religion. The President of Iraq objected to the clause and although the law was signed, the clause has been referred back to the Council of Representatives for reconsideration, but so far no action has been taken by the Council. We have made clear our concerns to the Government of Iraq. We are working alongside Non-Governmental Organisations, such as the Iraqi Council for Interfaith Dialogue, to continue to promote freedom of religion and belief in Iraq.

We are supporting the Iraqi Government’s efforts to rebuild public trust in the Iraqi State and to unite all of Iraq's communities against extremism. We consistently urge the Government of Iraq to take concrete steps towards inclusive and representative local governance, capable of providing basic services and protection. The UK has pledged £9.25 million to the UN's Funding Facility for Immediate Stabilisation, which is supporting the Iraqi Government to stabilise areas liberated from Daesh. This funding is re-establishing security and basic services, re-creating livelihoods and supporting grassroots reconciliation. Since June 2015, it has helped 862,000 people return to their homes across Iraq. The Secretary of State for International Development, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) also announced a further £40 million in humanitarian assistance for Iraq at the UN General Assembly on 21 September 2016, specifically to support the response to Mosul.

The UK Government promotes interreligious dialogue and co-operation in Iraq and the right to freedom of religion or belief for all of Iraq’s religious communities. At the political level, we urge the Government of Iraq consistently at senior levels to uphold the rights of all minorities. We also work to build international consensus on upholding freedom of religion or belief. In addition, we support practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups. For example, through the Foreign Office’s Magna Carta Fund, we have contributed £163,000 to support a project across several countries in the Middle East, including Iraq, to promote legal and social protection for freedom of religion or belief. This project aims to prevent intolerance and violence towards religious communities by inspiring leaders in Iraqi society to defend freedom of religion or belief.

​While investigative and prosecutorial work to bring Daesh to justice is already underway across the world, we are working with international partners to identify ways to advance this work, including through action at the UN. In Iraq, the UK translated the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict into Kurdish and Arabic and has followed up with projects supporting Iraqi organisations to document and present evidence of gender based violence to international standards. Our aim is to work with the consent of the Iraqi Government and develop local capacity to take this forward.

The only Iraqi forces to whom the UK has gifted weapons and ammunition are the Kurdish Peshmerga. We have not gifted weapons to any other armed forces, including the People's Mobilisation Units. The UK continues to support Iraqi, including Kurdish, security forces in their fight against Daesh. Arms and ammunition gifted to the Kurdish Regional Government were provided with the full support of the government of Iraq.

The UK carefully assesses all gifts of equipment against the EU Consolidated Criteria on a case by case basis. This requires us to consider the risk of equipment being used for internal repression, whether it could provoke or prolong internal or regional conflict, and whether equipment could end up in the hands of undesirable users. We will not permit an export if we judge that the risks exceed the threshold set out in the criteria. We are content with the controls the Kurdish Regional Government has in place for distribution and use of UK-supplied weaponry.