Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, during his recent visit to Libya, the Foreign Secretary discussed reports that the Libyan Coastguard threatened and fired upon search and rescue vessels.

We are aware of such reports. During his visit in August, the Foreign Secretary raised the Libyan Coastguard with Prime Minister Serraj, underscoring the importance of respecting human rights and international law. We have made clear that all vessels must operate in accordance with maritime law and any behaviour that threatens legitimate search and rescue activity is not acceptable. The Libyan Coastguard training package – which the UK is helping to deliver – aims to help develop a corps of professional Libyan Coastguard personnel with the skills required to manage search and rescue activities properly, whilst respecting human rights and international law.