Chi Onwurah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chi Onwurah on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on peace and stability in Europe and around the world of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Philip Hammond

As a leading member of the EU, the UK is a major influence on EU external policy and is able to shape the use of the EU’s available policy tools to enhance our security: for example, sanctions policy in respect of Russia and Iran and capacity building support to the states of the Western Balkans. I am in no doubt that Britain’s leading role in this process greatly contributes to the effectiveness of EU policy initiatives and thus maintaining peace and stability in Europe and beyond. All of that would be lost if Britain were to leave the European Union. I am clear that Britain is stronger, safer more prosperous inside the EU than it would be outside.