SIR – Your readers are right to debate the government’s decision to send troops to Sierra Leone in the fight against Ebola.

As a former soldier, I believe deployments should not be taken lightly, as they have been in the past. However, in this case, it seems a justified and proportionate response to a serious global threat.

Given the choice between fighting ISIS or treating Ebola, I’m not sure which I’d prefer, but it is inaccurate to assume Ebola is less of a security risk to the UK. Actually, our lives and livelihoods are at far greater risk from disease than any violent conflict. It could be argued only development agencies, or volunteers, should mitigate this risk, but they are quickly becoming overwhelmed. In fact, the current plan is to provide a 700-bed clinic for treating these aid workers abroad, rather than risk them travelling home, a sensible plan.

I would never ask someone to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do myself. I wonder if our MPs could say the same? Perhaps we will see morale-boosting visits from ministers to Sierra Leone, as we did to Afghanistan, to prove it?

Ian Lyons, Liberal Democrat Town Councillor (Baildon East), Cliffe Avenue, Baildon