Dr Julian Lewis: I remind my right hon. Friend [Alistair Burt] that the Foreign Secretary at the time that we were being asked to intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war himself accepted, and indeed volunteered the information, that there were several thousand al-Qaeda-linked militants fighting alongside the opposition.

* * *

Dr Lewis: Although I found myself in the opposite camp over arming the rebels in Syria, I say to my right hon. Friend who secured this debate [Alistair Burt] that I was amazed at the courtesy and forbearance that he always showed, even though we were totally at loggerheads over the issue. I know that was not unique to me; that is the way he behaves with everybody.