Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current situation in Mali and the wider Sahel region; what discussions they have had with the government of the United States about the number of US troops in West Africa further to reports that that government is considering a full or partial withdrawal; and what assessment they have made of the impact of any such withdrawal on the operational ability of UK military personnel in that region.

Her Majesty's Government is concerned about the security situation in Mali and the spread of insecurity across the region. We remain in close contact with our key partners, including the US and France, to share assessments and coordinate activity. No decisions on the status of US forces in West Africa have been formally communicated by the US Government to HMG. We assess that any possible withdrawal of US forces will have a minimal impact on our deployed forces, but we will keep this under close review.