Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what lessons his Department has learned from UK (a) diplomatic and (b) military involvement in the removal of Colonel Gaddafi from power in Libya in 2011; what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of that involvement with the Resolution of the House of 21 March 2011 on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 establishing a no-fly zone to protect Benghazi; and if he will make it his policy not to endorse no-fly zones to facilitate UK military intervention in Syria in support of Islamist fighting groups.   [20369]

[Due for Answer on 4 March. Answered on 3 March.]

ANSWER

The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa (James Cleverly): The UK participated in the international military action in Libya in 2011 in order to protect Libyans against Colonel Qadhafi's regime, which was intent on violently suppressing their uprising. The Qadhafi regime subsequently fell, and since then we have been working to support a political transition in Libya. The UK supports UN-led efforts as the best way of securing an end to the conflict and delivering the stability and security that all Libyans deserve. In Syria, the UK does not believe that a no-fly zone is currently a feasible option.