​Children born under Daesh in Iraq remain particularly vulnerable and present significant protection challenges. We continue to raise with the Iraqi authorities the importance of formal recognition of children born under Daesh. We welcome the steps recently taken by the Iraqi government to address the specific problem of the legal status of children born to Yezidi survivors as a result of sexual violence.

​We are in regular dialogue with our European partners, including in the framework of meetings of the European Union and of the Global Coalition against Daesh, about the situation of citizens who travelled to Syria or Iraq for the purposes of supporting Daesh.

On 26 October 2018 the Prime Minister reaffirmed to Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mehdi the UK's commitment to helping build a stable and successful Iraq. On 14 November 2018, I reinforced this message to Iraqi Foreign Minister Al Hakim, and requested that the Government of Iraq proactively contribute to reconstruction and stabilisation efforts. These efforts must be Iraqi-owned and Iraqi-led, with sustained international support.

Since 2015, the UK has committed over £30m to help stabilise areas liberated from Daesh, including rehabilitating critical infrastructure, delivering basic services like water and electricity, rebuilding livelihoods and supporting community reconciliation. This includes £14.45 million to the UN's Funding Facility for Stabilisation, to help the Iraqi government stabilise areas of return and re-establish security, basic services and inclusive local governance.

Stabilisation is not just about restoring physical infrastructure, but also about rebuilding trust. Community reconciliation is vital if Iraq is to enjoy a stable and prosperous future. Through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and our diplomatic efforts, we are also supporting the development of inclusive and representative reconciliation processes at both national and community levels.

​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly engages with the Home Office regarding the impact of the UK's immigration policy on the UK's relationship with Iraq. The UK remains committed to strengthening the UK-Iraq bilateral partnership.

The Foreign Secretary last met the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, on 3 July in London.

Their discussions covered; the UK's strong and continuing support for Iraq as it defeats Daesh; the importance of an inclusive political settlement in Mosul and other liberated areas; rebuilding a sense of national identity; the upcoming elections in Iraq; the Kurdish Regional Government's intention to hold a referendum on independence; and progress on the Campaign to Bring Daesh to Justice.

We remain very concerned about appalling crimes being committed against religious minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Iraq and Syria. Minorities have suffered at the hands of Daesh in both Syria and Iraq. In Syria they have also suffered at the hands of the Asad regime, whose war against the Syrian people has killed over 400,000 Syrians. We are committed to defeating Daesh and bringing them to justice. We continue to work towards a sustainable political settlement in Syria, based on transition away from Asad. Protection of minorities is a key pillar of international agreements on transition in Syria and also of proposals by the Syrian Opposition. We are using our aid budget to alleviate the immediate humanitarian suffering of the most vulnerable people in the region, including minorities. The UK has pledged £169.5 million in humanitarian aid for Iraq and £2.3 billion in response to the Syria crisis.

We remain extremely concerned about the structural integrity of Mosul Dam as there is a risk it could fail. The Government of Iraq, with assistance from the international community, has begun to take measures to improve the structural integrity of the dam. We anticipate those measures will begin to reduce the risk of dam failure over time. It is currently impossible to accurately predict if or when a failure might occur. A failure could lead to major flooding in the Tigris river valley, from Mosul to Baghdad.

We are in close touch with the Governments of Iraq, the US and our European partners, as well as the UN, about the Mosul Dam. The Government of Iraq, with assistance from the international community, has begun to take measures to improve the structural integrity of the dam. We anticipate those measures will begin to reduce the risk of dam failure over time. Alongside the US, we are working with the Government of Iraq, the UN and other partners to ensure Iraq has effective contingency planning in place, including early warning and humanitarian planning, to enable ordinary Iraqis and the international community to respond in the event of failure. Our Embassy has plans to ensure staff are safe and we have updated our travel advice to highlight the risk to the general public.

We are supporting the Mosul operation through airstrikes, through surveillance and reconnaissance from the air and, above all, through the training that we have supplied to Iraqi and Kurdish forces. I can tell the House that British troops have now trained more than 30,000 Iraqi soldiers, including Kurdish.

This country has led the way in getting money assembled for the reconstruction of Syria. First, of course, we have to get the civil war brought to an end. So far as Iraq is concerned, we have contributed to the United Nations fund. That money is now ready to go in to the reconstruction of the towns that have been liberated and to provide as quickly as possible the power and hospital and school services that the population needs.

The RAF’s significant contribution to the fight against Daesh is second only to that of the Americans. To date, we have conducted 1,048 airstrikes in Iraq and 67 in Syria. In Iraq, the RAF has helped Iraqi security forces to halt and push back Daesh, with about three quarters of the current strikes now supporting operations to retake Mosul. In Syria, the RAF has struck oilfields and supported the liberation of and Manbij.

As a leading member of the Coalition, the United Kingdom has assisted in the training and mentoring of over 29,000 local Iraqi security forces (including over 6,900 Kurdish Peshmerga). This includes infantry, counter-IED, medical and engineering skills - including a small team of Royal Engineers mentoring Iraqi forces carrying out bridge building in support of the liberation of Mosul, over 40 km from the city, in response to a request from the Coalition for specialist assistance. Many of the forces British troops have trained are participating in the operation to recapture Mosul.

The RAF is contributing its advanced air capabilities to Coalition operations in support of Iraqi forces on the ground. Since the start of the Mosul operation, the majority of RAF strikes have been in support of the Iraqi ground operation in and around that city.

Additionally, the UK has been at the forefront of humanitarian support and recently committed £40 million to the Iraqi government, which will include a contribution to the Mosul aid plan. This brings the total pledged by the UK to help the victims of Daesh to almost £170 million since 2014.

From 1 October 2015 to 25 October 2016 the UK conducted 1,991 combat missions over Iraq. Broken down by month these are:

During 1 October 2015 - 25 October 2016 the UK has conducted a total of 784 airstrikes within Iraqi territory. These are detailed as follows:

These strike numbers are constantly reviewed and updated by the Coalition to ensure records are as complete and as accurate as possible. As such, past and future statements regarding statistics may differ to those given here.

The UK has been one of the earliest and largest donors to the UN’s Mosul Flash Appeal, focused on preparing for the humanitarian consequences of Mosul military operations. This includes £40 million announced by my right Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development, at the UN General Assembly in September. With this, our partners will provide assistance, including shelter and support kits for 66,000 people, comprising vital equipment for any displaced family, such as blankets, plastic sheets, buckets and other containers for water, cooking items and soap. It will also provide emergency healthcare for 42,000 people, through four mobile medical teams, upgraded emergency medical surgeries, three ambulances and two health facilities with equipment, medication and light rehabilitation.

This brings the UK’s total humanitarian commitment to £90 million in 2016, and £169.5 million since summer 2014.

As outlined in our response to PQ 29560 the latest available public figures on the number of Daesh fighters in Iraq and Syria come from the US. These put the number at approximately 19,000 – 25,000, compared to 20,000 – 31,000 fighters in 2014.

Our current estimate for the number of Daesh fighters in Libya is between 3,000 – 6,000. We do not have earlier estimates from which we could extrapolate a trend. The vast majority of Daesh fighters in Libya are foreigners rather than Libyans. While some Daesh figures have called for foreign fighters to go to Libya rather than Iraq/Syria, we have not seen any evidence to suggest this has happened.

We believe approximately 800 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to take part in the Syrian conflict since it began. Of those who are known to have travelled, about half have returned. This number will include men, women, and some individuals who were under 18 at the point of travel.

The latest available US figures suggest that there are approximately 19,000 – 25,000 Daesh fighters in Iraq and Syria, compared to estimates of 20,000 – 31,000 fighters in 2014. Estimates for the number of Daesh fighters in Libya are between 3,000 – 6,000.

We believe approximately 800 UK linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to take part in the Syrian conflict since it began. Of those who are known to have travelled, about half have returned. This number will include some individuals who were under 18 at the point of travel.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond) last met Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ja’afari in London on 22 January. The autonomy of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was not discussed at that meeting. However, the Foreign Secretary, the British Ambassador to Baghdad, the Consul General in Erbil and I regularly discuss with both the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government, the importance of working together to defeat ISIL and deliver the stable, secure, prosperous and unified Iraq all Iraq’s people want.

Militarily, the UK is conducting air operations as part of the Global Coalition to assist the Iraqi Government and Kurdish Regional Government in their fight against ISIL. The UK is also providing training and equipment to Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga in northern Iraq. The UK has provided over 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns, nearly half a million rounds of ammunition and £600,000 worth of military equipment to the Kurdish Peshmerga. We have gifted 1000 counter-IED VALLON detectors to Iraqi Security Forces, including Kurdish fighters. We have also delivered over 300 tonnes of weapons and ammunition on behalf of other Coalition nations. In Syria, the UK is not providing material support to Kurdish groups. Financially, the UK, through the Department for International Development, is providing £79.5 million in humanitarian assistance to help those across Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region, who have been affected by ISIL’s brutality. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also manages a portfolio of projects under the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund worth £10 million in Iraq, aimed at helping political reconciliation, building community cohesion and encouraging security sector reform – a portion of which will benefit the Kurdish Region. The UK is providing over £1.1 billion in humanitarian assistance across the region to help those affected by the conflict in Syria.