Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to assist the improvement of domestic security and public protection in Libya.

We strongly support the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Bernardino Leon, and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), to resolve the political and security crisis and pave the way for peaceful political dialogue.

Our commitment to Libya is reflected by the Prime Minister’s appointment of a Special Envoy to the Political Transition, Jonathan Powell. Our Envoy and the UK Diplomatic network are working hard with key Libyan interlocutors and international partners to support UN efforts to facilitate a fully inclusive dialogue to reach a lasting political agreement.

The UK welcomed the dialogue talks hosted by UNSMIL in Rabat, Algeria and Brussels. We urge all participants to attend further talks with goodwill and adopt inclusive policies, to lay the foundations for a Government of National Unity. The UK is actively exploring with EU and other partners how best we can support a new National Unity Government. The improvement of the security situation in Libya is a crucial ingredient for its success.