The Crisis in Mali is a possible test case and here the EU, led by our noble friend Lady Ashton, has already taken a lead.

However, can the Minister spell out the full list of military capabilities that have been offered to the French, and will he rule out the deployment of additional UK military assets in response to the Mali Crisis?

There is a political Crisis in Mali, and the solution is political, which is why we welcome the recent announcement by the Malian authorities to initiate a commission on dialogue and reconciliation.