Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to restore full British diplomatic activity in Libya.

Our Embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed since 6 August, due to ongoing fighting and instability. The safety and security of our staff is paramount: we will re-open the Embassy in Libya when the security situation has improved sufficiently to keep our staff safe. A small team of British diplomats focused on relations with Libya are currently working from our Embassy in Tunis, as well as a team in London. Our core diplomatic activity also includes the work of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Jonathan Powell, who is continuing to work with the UN on the ground in Libya to pursue mediation efforts to agree a negotiated political settlement, which offers the best hope of stability for the country.