Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 62
Fifth report: No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran
Published 16 Dec 2020
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee The UK and Iran All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Regardless of international comparisons, Charlie Loudon noted that “[a]vailable evidence gives a clear indication that the UK’s method has not worked so far, and that the UK needs to rethink its approach and work with other countries to better address Iranian hostage taking”.143 The sentiment was shared by Dr Vakil who stated that the UK “should be more proactive and find opportunities to negotiate with Iran specifically delinking the issue of dual nationals from other security challenges”.144 As a specific remedy, Tulip Siddiq MP suggested that These problems are all the more likely at a time when authoritarianism is on the rise around the world and international law is increasingly being 138 Britain denies £400 million debt to Iran linked to bid to free jailed aid worker, Reuters, Guy Faulconbridge, Paul Sandle, 16 November 2017 139 Q23 [Charlie Loudon] 140 Q23 [Charlie Loudon] 141 Q23 [Dr Sanam Vakil] 142 Q23 [Dr Anicée Van Engeland] 143 Q23 [Charlie Loudon] 144 Q23 [Dr Sanam Vakil] 24 No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran challenged […] HMG should be using its role on the world stage to forcefully call-out state hostage-taking and push for international agreements to curtail it.145
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, Fifth report: No prosperity without justice: the UK’s relationship with Iran (HC 415), 16 December 2020
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 February 2021 (deadline 16 February 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes several of the Committee's conclusions and sets out a position built on "engagement, pressure, and incentives", while noting rather than adopting a number of specific recommendations.
- On the nuclear deal, it agrees it would not be in the UK's interests to terminate the JCPoA "without a viable replacement", and says it will work with E3 partners and the new US Administration. It notes the recommendations on ballistic missiles, sunset clauses and IAEA cooperation.
- It states that it "has never said that its long-term goal is to 'replace' the JCPoA", while agreeing that consultation across the Middle East region will be critical.
- On proscribing the IRGC, it takes "careful note" of the recommendation. It says the IRGC is subject to UK sanctions, and that it is "longstanding Government policy not to comment" on whether an organisation is under consideration for proscription.
- On a Foreign Secretary statement on a JCPoA replacement, it says only that the Foreign Secretary "will update the House when it is appropriate to do so". It notes the proposal for a UN hostage-taking convention addition without committing to it.