Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the rise of IS-affiliated groups in Yemen, Libya and North Africa.

Defeating Daesh remains a top UK priority, and we continue to play a leading role in the 73 member Global Coalition. The UK is taking a comprehensive approach to tackling Daesh and other terrorist organisations overseas adapting the CONTEST principles of Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare.

Her Majesty's Government has a comprehensive Counter Terrorism and Common Vulnerabilities Exposures strategy for North Africa, aligned with the broader North Africa National Security Council Strategy. Daesh is losing in Libya. In December, forces aligned to Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA), with US Air Support, expelled Daesh from their main base in Sirte.

The conflict in Yemen has allowed terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda and Daesh to establish themselves and spread their message of violence and extremism. As the UK no longer maintains a presence on the ground in Yemen, we are working with partners to monitor the threat from these organisations and disrupt any attack planning.

Terrorism in both Libya and Yemen will not be defeated without an enduring political settlement in both countries and effective governance to deny terrorist organisations the space in which to operate. The UK is supporting UN-led efforts to amend the Libyan Political Agreement and deliver an effective national government in Libya, which is key to the long term stability of Libya and the region. The Government is also supporting the work of the UN Special Representative in Yemen to broker peace in the present conflict.