Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in the Gambia; and what recent representations he has made to his Gambian counterpart on the current state of emergency in that country.

I congratulate His Excellency, President Adama Barrow, on his inauguration as the new President of The Gambia on 19 January. It was extremely encouraging to see the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the UN Security Council join together to put regional and international pressure on Jammeh to leave peacefully. ECOWAS efforts to mediate and to find a peaceful solution were critical. The UK has a long and historic relationship with The Gambia and I look forward to working closely with President Barrow's Government to further develop our already strong bilateral and economic links.