The French base in Mali was recently attacked; where will UK troops be stationed and how secure will the British base be? Also, what measures must be met for the deployment to succeed?

Could troops in this UN deployment also serve in the French-led Barkhane mission, and how is development aid planned for Mali over three years?

What are the measures for co-ordination within Government to ensure that Britain’s responsibilities as a leading UN member are met?

I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement... The public expect Ministers to be open about this too, so I hope the Minister will undertake to give regular reports on progress to Parliament during this deployment.

I join the Opposition in wishing our forces well... I hope that as we step forward with greater resolve on the international stage we will think more carefully about these cuts to our reserves.

I thank the Minister for advance sight of his statement. It is important that the House is kept fully informed on issues such as this. The Scottish National party firmly supports the deployment of UK personnel in supporting the UN mission in Mali. I support the Minister from a humanitarian perspective and echo his point that international efforts to support law, order and security are also the best way to prevent unstable regions from becoming safe havens for terrorist groups. Many areas of concern in Mali need to be addressed by this international action, including food security, health and child protection. This conflict has led to displacement and death, and most disturbing are the UN reports that rape is being used as a weapon of war, with both women and young girls the target of these attacks. It is therefore conspicuous that while the UK is sending personnel to the area, which of course is most welcome, it is also cutting aid by 30%. These two issues cannot be considered separate when we are looking at the humanitarian response.

The Minister stated that the UK troops will support the Government’s development and diplomatic agenda as a force for good in the world. Will he explain how the cuts to aid described could impact the UN mission in Mali? Will he detail whether any civilian support has been cut on the ground, including to those working with victims of sexual violence? Given the increase in terrorist activity and instability in the region, what safeguards are being considered for the personnel who are being deployed?

At what point will our troops be withdrawn, and what are the success criteria for that to happen?

By way of a declaration, I am a reservist. I welcome the Minister’s statement. Terrorists and insurgents are exploiting open borders in this region to smuggle weapons, arms and drugs. Do the British Government support the French initiative to increase regional co-ordination through the G5 joint force to deploy 5,000 personnel from five neighbouring states? With France’s key role in intelligence in the Sahel region, what does the Minister make of the point made by some that France should be included in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing system?

I thank the Minister for providing such a comprehensive statement this afternoon, so soon on the back of last week’s written ministerial statement. That is deeply welcome, and I want to place on the record our support for our service personnel as they deploy. The Minister will know through correspondence from the Defence Committee and media reports that there are some concerns about the availability of the appropriate equipment for the circumstances, so may I ask him to place it on the record publicly this afternoon that those who are prepared to put themselves in harm’s way will have adequate and appropriate protection for the situation in which they will find themselves?

This is the latest in a long line of peacekeeping and humanitarian missions undertaken by our armed forces with the support of this Conservative Government. Does my hon. Friend agree that, thanks to this Government’s support of our armed forces, in words and in actions, they have been able to deliver an immeasurable impact on the lives of those most in need of security and stability across the world?

May I too pay tribute to the troops involved in this deployment and others globally at this time? Reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that 230 children were recruited by armed groups in Mali in the first half of 2020 alone, compared with 215 cases in the whole of 2019, are deeply concerning. What steps are the Government taking with international partners to help to protect vulnerable children who have been taken advantage of in this way and to ensure the sustainability that the Minister referred to in his statement?

I too welcome the statement. At heart, all UK Defence operations are focused on building stability and security worldwide, from which all nations and people are able to benefit. Can my hon. Friend assure me and the House that, thanks to the record spending review, we will be able to continue to contribute to global safety and prosperity in the years to come?

Mali is one of the world’s poorest countries, but it seems to be the vast network of small gold mines that is attracting jihadist and other terrorist organisations there. What can be done as part of this international effort to try to get those gold mines put to use in getting the country out of poverty, rather than funding terrorism?

The Minister says that this force of 300 will form a specialist reconnaissance capability. To do that, the troops will have to speak to the local people. Some 5% to 10% of the local people speak the official language, which is French, and the rest do not. When I took 900 soldiers to Bosnia, I required 20 interpreters—minimum. I suspect we will need at least seven for this force. May I ask my hon. Friend whether there is an ability to recruit interpreters locally, and whether interpreters in both French and local languages—there are quite a few of them—have been thought about? I am sure the answer is yes.

We all send our best wishes to our troops on this mission. The Sahel is a complicated place with long-term problems in terms of security and development. Is the Minister confident that the UN has criteria for success and an exit strategy for the three-year deployment?

Given the vast lines of communication in Mali, can the Minister assure that British forces will operate with sufficient mass, force protection, and an effective reserve to deal with insurgency?

While welcoming this deployment, does the Minister agree that reducing international aid budgets highlights a strategic weakness in addressing crises like Mali's? Additionally, what is being done to ensure development funds pour into Mali for stability?

To prevent the mission from becoming permanent, what steps is the Minister taking to support Malian forces with investment, equipment, and training against jihadist threats?

Extending best wishes, does the Minister agree that Mali’s crisis affecting 12.9 million people highlights a strategic weakness in cutting international aid budgets?

While it's right for the UK to be involved, given MINUSMA’s high costs and risks, can the Minister assure that our role will be technical/logistical and modest without mission creep?