Daesh are under significant pressure in Sirte. I welcome the positive steps the Libyan people are taking to remove Daesh from their country, including Prime Minister Serraj’s recent request for precision airstrikes from the United States of America against Daesh. The defeat of Daesh in Libya will have a positive impact on the long term stability of Libya and the region. But other extremist groups, including those with links to Al Qaeda, remain a threat to the country and the region. It is important that the International Community fully supports the Government of National Accord in their efforts to bring all legitimate military and security forces under a unified command. This will help to restore stability, seal the defeat of Daesh and close the space in which the terrorists and criminal gangs are operating.

It is vital that the international community is relentless in its efforts to ensure Daesh and its affiliates are defeated wherever they arise, including tackling those fighters who remain in Libya. The UK is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition of over 66 partners committed to defeating Daesh. The Global Coalition is committed to tackling the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters travelling to the region to join Daesh or travelling from Daesh-held territories to other countries.

It is also important to consider what comes after the defeat of Daesh, in areas that they control. We are working closely with the new Libyan government and international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to stabilisation and post-conflict reconstruction, including through the £10m UK CSSF allocation.

It is vital that the international community is relentless in its efforts to ensure Daesh and its affiliates are defeated wherever they arise, including tackling those fighters who may be retreating from Libya. We are coordinating closely with Egypt and Tunisia to share expertise on border security. More broadly, the UK is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition of over 66 partners committed to defeating Daesh. The Global Coalition is committed to tackling the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters travelling to the region to join Daesh or travelling from Daesh-held territories to other countries. The Counter-Daesh Coalition Working Group on Foreign Terrorist Fighters, co-led by the Netherlands, Turkey and the United States, is working with Coalition partners to implement the obligations and recommendations in UN Security Council Resolution 2178 on 24 September 2014. This resolution requires countries to take steps to counter foreign terrorist fighters, to expand current obligations under international law, and to strengthen international measures that prevent suspected foreign terrorist fighters from travelling, disrupt financial support to foreign terrorist fighters, and further strengthen international and regional co-operation mechanisms.

[holding answer 24 January 2013]: Each mission that UK exchange officers contributed to over Libya in 2011 required a US sensor operator for the Predator remotely piloted air system. Therefore no missions were undertaken solely by UK forces. There were two UK officers on exchange with the US contributing to these missions.

During Operation Ellamy last year, UK personnel embedded with United States forces contributed to around 200 armed remotely piloted air system missions as part of the NATO mission in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.