§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Sierra Leone and its impact on the provision of humanitarian aid. [148089]
§ Hilary BennSecurity is well-established across Sierra Leone. The whole country is under Government control, with the support of UNAMSIL. The Government's security agencies are developing their capacity in preparation for the withdrawal of UNAMSIL at the end of the year. The UK is providing extensive support to this process. The Government are currently carrying out a security sector review to put in place measures to guard against threats in the future, both internal and external. We plan to review our support to the security sector when the report of the Government's review is available, and will make modifications to our support as necessary, to assist with the maintenance of security beyond the departure of UNAMSIL.
There is no security restriction on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian agencies are able to operate in all parts of the country.