Attendance. Jack Lopresti MP, Graham Jones MP, Mary Glindon MP, Lord Clement-Jones, Mike Gapes MP, Tracy Brabin MP, Bob Stewart MP, Karwan Jamal Tahir and Hawre Wahid of the KRG UK, and Gary Kent, APPG Director.
Apologies. Nadhim Zahawi MP, Andrea Jenkyns, Stephen Metcalfe MP, Henry Smith MP, Ian Austin, Lord Glasman.
Elections
Jack Lopresti was elected as Chairman. Statutory vice chairs were elected: Lord Clement-Jones, Mike Gapes MP and Robert Halfon MP.
Other vice chairs elected: Mary Glindon, Bob Stewart, Henry Smith, Andrea Jenkyns, Ian Austin, Nadhim Zahawi, Tracy Brabin, Mark Hendrick, John Mann, Stephen Metcalfe, Seema Malhotra, John Woodcock, Lord Glasman, and, subject to confirmation, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, and Jonathan Edwards.
The remit of the group was agreed as: To promote friendship and understanding between the peoples and representatives of the Kurdistan Region and the UK.
A draft EDM on the referendum was discussed.
The reports of the APPG delegation in November 2016 will be published online with hard copies to follow.
Chairman to seek Westminster Hall debate on the Kurdistan Region
Agreed to send observers to the referendum in Kurdistan on 25 September and if possible combine with a fact-finding mission.
Agreed to send observers to monitor scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections in November.
Agreed to ask the UK Consul General in Erbil to address a future meeting.
Agreed to continue the campaign to urge UK government to provide beds at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for most seriously wounded Peshmerga.
A general discussion on the current situation in Kurdistan was led by the KRG High Representative and included the need for beds in the UK for wounded Peshmerga, further supplies of weaponry and other equipment.
Officers and supporters
Chairman: Jack Lopresti
Vice-Chairs
Lord Clement-Jones
Robert Halfon
Mike Gapes
Other Vice-Chairs
Bob Stewart
Henry Smith
Andrea Jenkyns
Nadhim Zahawi
Mary Glindon
Mark Hendrick
John Mann
Stephen Metcalfe
Seema Malhotra
John Woodcock
Ian Austin
Lord Glasman
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
Jonathan Edwards.
Other members
Conor McGinn
Daniel Carden
Christian Matheson
Chris Stephens
Douglas Chapman
