Lord Callanan (Con)

My Lords, as the Minister said, this SI amends the sanctions on Syria to allow access to UK luxury goods exports. It follows previous steps to lift sanctions on Syria following the fall of the hated Assad regime, which was responsible for appalling atrocities. Its decision to crush the peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011 plunged Syria into a decade-long civil war that left 400,000 people dead. Half of Syria’s pre-war population was displaced as a result of the war. In our view, the Syrian people deserve a brighter future, and we all sincerely hope that the next chapter in Syria’s story is more peaceful and prosperous than the previous one. Sadly, the road to peace and prosperity is long and hard fought. We know that Syria under the new transitional Government still faces serious challenges, including some deplorable examples of sectarian violence. I note that lifting the sanctions mentioned in this SI will mean that the UK will move forward in line with our American and European partners. We should continue to work closely with our allies to support Syria’s recovery. On the situation in Syria today, will the Minister update the Committee on the progress being made by the transitional Government towards a democratic future for Syria? Will he also set out any assessment his department has made of the impact of the conflict in Iran and the Gulf on progress towards what we hope will be a better future for Syria? We have discussed the very concerning examples of sectarian violence in Syria in recent months. Will the Minister say what engagement the UK has had with the Syrian transitional Government about this appalling violence? In June last year, a church in Damascus was targeted by suicide bombers thought to have been part of the IS-linked Sunni group Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah. The attack killed 25 people and injured 63 others. Will the Minister say what steps the transitional Government are taking to protect Christian communities, in particular, in Syria? Finally, what support can the international community provide to assist the transitional Government in trying to stamp out these appalling attacks? With those few questions, in general we support the proposed SI.