Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) Operation Shader and (b) the capacity of UK armed forces to call in airstrikes from the ground of the announcement by the US Administration of the withdrawal of ground troops from Syria.

Since military operations began, the Global Coalition and its partners in Syria and Iraq have recaptured almost all the territory once held by Daesh, and important advances have been made in recent weeks in the last area of eastern Syria to be occupied by Daesh.

As the United States has made clear, their announcement does not signal the end of the Coalition or its campaign. Much remains to be done and Daesh will remain a threat even without territory. The UK remains committed to the Coalition and its objective of ensuring Daesh's enduring defeat. We are discussing with the US the implications of their announcement and seeking clarity on their further plans.