The situation that young children are facing in north-east Syria through no fault of their own is tragic. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance to British Nationals there. This makes it difficult to help but we look at every single case where we are asked for consular assistance. We are not aware of any British children in camps in Iraq.

Our advice to any British national abroad who needs emergency help from the British Government is to contact the nearest British Embassy or Consulate, which in this case will be outside Syria. If a minor is unable to do so, those with parental responsibility can make the request on their behalf. British nationals can also call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The number is clearly advertised on FCO Travel Advice pages.

​We are aware of the media reports regarding children without documentation in Iraqi displacement camps, although we cannot verify the numbers cited. We recognise the vulnerability of these children and the risks of them being excluded from Iraqi citizenship and society in the future. We continue to raise these concerns with the Iraqi authorities including the importance of formal recognition of all children. We were pleased to hear of the Government of Iraq's initiative to address the status of children born of rape to Yezidi women and hope this will soon be reflected across the country.

The fight against Daesh led to widespread damage to infrastructure, housing and communities across Iraq. The World Bank has estimated the cost of material reconstruction to be at least £67 billion. An unquantifiable but equally serious social cost has simultaneously been exacted on Iraqi society.

The UN has spearheaded stabilisation efforts with its Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS), which helps stabilise areas liberated from Daesh by repairing infrastructure and vital facilities such as hospitals and schools. To date, almost 1400 projects have been completed by the FFS. The FFS has been the largest recipient of the UK’s own stabilisation funding in Iraq.

There are also numerous examples of International Community-led activities focused on social cohesion and reconciliation. The FFS works to build cohesion amongst communities as the displaced return to their homes. Alongside this, the UK has spent £2.68 million targeting community safety and reintegration projects in Salah-al-Din and Nineveh.

The UK and International Community will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraq as it rebuilds post-Daesh. However, as the immediate crisis recedes, only the Government of Iraq has the mandate, tools and capacity to take the primary role in driving systematic, long-term reconstruction across the country.

UK airstrikes always follow the principles of international humanitarian law: necessity, proportionality, distinction between combatants and non-combatant civilians, and the prevention of unnecessary suffering. The complex and congested urban environment of Mosul presented particular challenges for those undertaking airstrikes as part of the Coalition support to forces on the ground against Daesh. Our rigorous targeting processes take into account the conditions on the ground, including the potential presence of a civilian population. We undertake a battle damage assessment after every airstrike. This assessment examines all the available records including video, and one of its roles is the identification of any collateral damage, including civilian casualties. If any such assessment indicated anything that should be scrutinised further, a full investigation would be undertaken, with appropriate resources allocated to it. Thus there is no requirement for a further evaluation of the deployment of UK airpower in the campaign against Daesh.

UK airstrikes always follow the principles of international humanitarian law: necessity, proportionality, distinction between combatants and non-combatant civilians, and the prevention of unnecessary suffering. The complex and congested urban environment of Mosul presented particular challenges for those undertaking airstrikes as part of the Coalition support to forces on the ground against Daesh. Our rigorous targeting processes take into account the conditions on the ground, including the potential presence of a civilian population. We undertake a battle damage assessment after every airstrike. This assessment examines all the available records including video, and one of its roles is the identification of any collateral damage, including civilian casualties. If any such assessment indicated anything that should be scrutinised further, a full investigation would be undertaken, with appropriate resources allocated to it. Thus there is no requirement for a further evaluation of the deployment of UK airpower in the campaign against Daesh.

UK airstrikes always follow the principles of international humanitarian law: necessity, proportionality, distinction between combatants and non-combatant civilians, and the prevention of unnecessary suffering. The complex and congested urban environment of Mosul presented particular challenges for those undertaking airstrikes as part of the Coalition support to forces on the ground against Daesh. Our rigorous targeting processes take into account the conditions on the ground, including the potential presence of a civilian population. We undertake a battle damage assessment after every airstrike. This assessment examines all the available records including video, and one of its roles is the identification of any collateral damage, including civilian casualties. If any such assessment indicated anything that should be scrutinised further, a full investigation would be undertaken, with appropriate resources allocated to it. Thus there is no requirement for a further evaluation of the deployment of UK airpower in the campaign against Daesh.

The net additional costs of counter-Daesh operations are as follows:

Net additional costs are those costs that the Ministry of Defence would not otherwise have incurred but for the operations.

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.

Organisations can apply for funding from the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHPF) after completing an assessment to make sure that they have the capacity to deliver high quality humanitarian assistance. A list of all the organisations which have completed the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund capacity assessment is available on the UN OCHA Iraq website. A list of all organisations, including faith-based organisations, that received funding from the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund is published on the cbpf.unocha.org website. OCHA do not publish information about organisations which applied for funding but were unsuccessful.

UK officials in Iraq regularly meet with humanitarian organisations and direct them towards the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund (IHPF) to access funding. DFID does not differentiate in its approach between faith-based organisations and secular organisations, and supports the approach of the IHPF to provide funding to those best placed to provide assistance to those most in need. DFID officials in London meet quarterly with a working group of non-governmental organisation representatives to discuss Iraq, including many from faith-based organisations. The discussions regularly cover any concerns or questions that organisations have about access to IHPF funding.

Absolutely, and I pay tribute to the work of the right reverend Prelate over many years, and to his compassion for Iraq in seeking how faith communities can play an important part in building reconciliation in that country. He will be aware that the UN Plan was published to help the effort in Mosul in particular, involving some $930 million, and $570 million for Mosul.

The UK has a reputation for taking the lead in providing humanitarian assistance and helping people to rebuild their communities. It is worth noting that in the fierce battle to liberate the remaining part of Mosul, 60% of Daesh territory has been lost—it is losing the battle—and over 1 million people have returned to their homes. That is a sign of progress.

My Lords, UK aid is supporting vulnerable people, including minorities, to return to their homes in areas liberated from Daesh in Iraq. With UK funding, the UN is helping people to return home by restoring light infrastructure, re-opening hospitals and schools, and providing cash assistance to people who need to re-establish their livelihoods.

​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 Kurdistan region hosts over one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 230,000 Syrian refugees. A combination of the economic downturn in Iraq and IDP numbers has placed pressure on services in the region. The UN’s 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan was developed in coordination with both the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government and has received strong donor support. It has so far received 90% of the funds needed to provide life-saving assistance to 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis, including those living in the Kurdistan region. The UN will launch a new Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017 later this month.

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.

Faith-based organisations in Iraq are able to access UK funding through the UN-managed Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, to which the UK is the largest donor. UK officials have met with faith-based organisations to discuss the humanitarian situation and to provide guidance on how to access the fund. UK Officials in the Kurdistan region are in regular contact with the Christian, Yezidi, and Muslim community leaders, and have participated in a Religious Dialogue Conference where all religions of the Kurdistan region were represented. All UK-funded humanitarian aid in the Kurdistan Region is distributed on the basis of need, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity.

In areas of Iraq recently liberated by Daesh the UK is supporting UNICEF to provide lifesaving response services for victims of gender based violence, and the International Organisation for Migration to deliver general clinical and trauma care, including mental health services. The UK is the largest contributor to the Iraq Humanitarian Pooled Fund, which responds to the most urgent needs of vulnerable Iraqis. This has included psychosocial support services for over 2,700 people, and referrals to specialist legal services for hundreds of survivors of torture and sexual violence.