Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Gwynne Excerpts
Monday 26th November 2012

(11 years, 12 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Andrew Murrison Portrait Dr Murrison
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My hon. Friend is right that the piracy will not be resolved entirely at sea, and EUCAP NESTOR is showing early promise of delivering effect. The subject will be returned to at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council early next year. I pay tribute to the EU training mission in Somalia, which is showing early promise and already training people to ensure that we tackle this problem at its heart and do not rely simply on our undoubted success offshore.

Andrew Gwynne Portrait Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)
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But what assessment has the Minister made of the links between al-Shabaab and piracy in the region, and what are the Government’s long-term plans to tackle the growth of extremism operating both within and out of Somalia?

Andrew Murrison Portrait Dr Murrison
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We have seen some early signs of improvement politically and economically in Somalia. It is absolutely essential that the root causes of insurgency are dealt with at source, and that is happening. The international community is absolutely committed to dealing with this and tackling the menace that al-Shabaab poses.