Tuesday Volume 667 5 November 2019 No. 15 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 5 November 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 625 5 NOVEMBER 2019 626 Dominic Raab: I thank the hon. Gentleman; he has House of Commons followed this subject for a long period and has experience and insight. We are worried, and our main concerns are Tuesday 5 November 2019 around the humanitarian situation and the stability of northern Syria. Notwithstanding the removal of Daesh leader al-Baghdadi, which we welcome, we are worried The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock about the medium-term impact on counter-Daesh strategy in the region. So while we welcome the ceasefire brokered by Vice-President Mike Pence in relation to northern PRAYERS Syria, we are also seeing an accommodation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime and indeed Presidents Erdog˘an and Putin, and that is [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] counter both to our counter-terrorism efforts but also to the humanitarian plight that the hon. Gentleman rightly raises. Oral Answers to Questions Kerry McCarthy: May I add my congratulations to you, Mr Speaker? Save the Children has identified around 60 British FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE children who are stranded in north-east Syria. The Government have said that we owe them a duty of care. No matter what their parents may have done, these are The Secretary of State was asked— innocent children, and some are now malnourished and Syria some are suffering from life-threatening illnesses. What are the Government doing to ensure that those British 1. Ian Austin (Dudley North) (Ind): What assessment children are repatriated? he has made of the effect of the US Administration’s decision to withdraw support for Kurdish forces on Dominic Raab: The hon. Lady is right to say that the regional stability. [900296] first responsibility is of course with any parent or prospective parent who would take their children out to 15. Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab): What recent a conflict zone. We have made it clear that we are willing assessment he has made of conditions for civilians in to repatriate unaccompanied UK minors or orphans Syria. [900313] where is no risk to UK security. We would consider carefully individual requests for consular support more 19. Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab): generally and subject to national security considerations, What discussions he has had with his international but of course the UK has no consular presence in Syria counterparts on the feasibility of implementing a no-fly from which to provide assistance, and that makes it very zone over northern Syria. [900319] difficult to help, but we respond on a case-by-case basis. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Mike Kane: This is an honour, Mr Speaker. Affairs and First Secretary of State (Dominic Raab): May I start, Mr Speaker, by saying it is an honour to be MrAhmed,aSyrianKurdconstituentof mine,hasrelayed the first Member at the Dispatch Box to congratulate his deep concerns for family and friends in the region. you on taking the Chair? Youwill not have an easy task, Communities without security cannot prosper; what but I am confident that with your technical expertise more can be done to secure a peace? and your long experience and good humour, you will do an absolutely superb job. Dominic Raab: We talk to all the parties and players The UK has consistently opposed Turkish military involved.ObviouslythereisanimportantNATOcomponent. action in Syria. We condemned it with our European The US withdrawal of troops is, of course, a matter for partners and we are concerned about the impact it will them, but we note that a small residual number of have on stability, on the humanitarian crisis and also on troops are going to be left for counter-Daesh operations. the counter-Daesh effort. We support the deconfliction mechanism that is in place to try to ensure that the airspace can be correctly and Ian Austin: Mr Speaker, I am sure the whole House properly policed. will want to join me in congratulating you on your election yesterday. It is fantastic to see you in the Chair. Crispin Blunt (Reigate) (Con): It is an honour, I thank the Secretary of State for his answer.Abandoning Mr Speaker, to be the first Back Bencher to be called the Kurds, who led the fight against IS, has seen over from the Government Benches during your Speakership. 10,000 refugees fleeing to Iraqi Kurdistan on top of the I made my remarks about your predecessor a matter of 1.5 million displaced people it is already generously formal record, and I hope I can now get called, which caring for, so will he increase humanitarian work and would be agreeable. the Kurdistan region’s ability to defend itself against On this very serious issue, having recently been to the Daesh? Does he agree that this has also strengthened region may I urge my right hon. Friend and his colleagues Iran and its proxy terror arming Hezbollah, and that to engage with the local leadership there when they Israel, the middle east’sonly democracy,must be protected make themselves available at ministerial level? On the from that threat? conduct of the Turkish military operation, there is now 627 Oral Answers 5 NOVEMBER 2019 Oral Answers 628 pretty incontrovertible evidence that white phosphorus The situation in Syria strikes me as something that affects has been used as a weapon against civilians, if not other security as well as foreign policy, so I ask the Foreign chemical weapons, either by the Turks or by their Syrian Secretary again: will he change his mind, given that auxiliary allies. This is a matter of immense seriousness; there are 27 key partners in there? It is increasingly will the United Kingdom Government now hold Turkey striking that there are no benefits from leaving the and her allies to account? European Union, but even worse, could it be that we have a Government so blinded and dogmatic over their Dominic Raab: Your tenure and leadership, Mr Speaker, commitment to turn away from Europe and embrace are already producing changes on the Back Benches, Trump that they will not even bother to turn up for which are hugely welcome. My hon. Friend is right to these meetings? Does he not agree that this is having be concerned that we ensure we are engaged with key security and foreign policy implications right now? figures on the ground in northern Syria. In relation to white phosphorus, we are very concerned by the reports— Dominic Raab: I have to say to the hon. Gentleman which have not yet been fully verified, as we have that I think the blinkered prejudice is all on his own said—and we want to see a swift and thorough investigation side. I have attended EU Gymnichs before the meetings by the UN Commission of Investigation. That is what with Foreign Ministers, because when we have security we are pressing for. issues of course we want to engage with our EU partners. The reality is that we will continue to do that once we Dr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con): Before the shadow have left the EU, because we want to be strong European Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Islington neighbours and allies as well as giving effect to the South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry), stands up, may referendum in this country. I be the first London MP to welcome you to your place, Mr Speaker? Will my right hon. Friend tell the House whatinternationaldiscussionsareoccurringwiththeTurkish UK Soft Power Government in order to ensure a long-lasting peace? 2. Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con): What diplomatic Dominic Raab: I have spoken to the Turkish Foreign steps he is taking to enhance UK soft power overseas. Minister and the Prime Minister spoke to President [900297] Erdog˘an on 12 and 20 October, and we have made it clear that we are not willing to see demographic changes on the ground that would alter the balance in northern 17. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): What the Syria. Weare concerned about the humanitarian situation. activities are of staff working in his Department on soft It is welcome that the ceasefire is broadly holding, but power; and if he will make a statement. [900316] we now need to see measures for a credible medium-term approach that allows us to continue to press our overarching The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign aim to see Daesh defeated in the region and that is also and Commonwealth Affairs (Mrs Heather Wheeler): As fair and just in relation to the humanitarian crisis, the first woman to speak, may I also congratulate you particularly to those who have been displaced or lost on your new job, Mr Speaker? The UK is home to their homes. world-class universities, cultural institutions and major sporting events that are known throughout the world Stephen Gethins (North East Fife) (SNP): On behalf and that help to promote our values and build relationships. of the Scottish National party, may I be the first Scottish We will keep investing in our soft power assets, including MP to welcome you to your place, Mr Speaker? On the British Council, the BBC World Service and Chevening 16 October, the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign scholarships, and engaging with partners as part of our and Commonwealth Affairs, the hon.