Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Afghanistan

Tuesday 26 October 2021 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The security situation in Afghanistan is fragile and volatile, with Islamic State conducting deadly terror attacks.
  • The UK doubled its humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan to 286 million, including support for women and girls.
  • The Afghan relocations and assistance policy facilitates evacuation for Afghan nationals who served alongside UK forces or are at risk.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Foreign Affairs Women & Equalities
Context

The security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile and volatile, with Islamic State carrying out deadly terror attacks.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the security situation in Afghanistan? The security situation is fragile and volatile. Terror attacks by Islamic State include Kabul airport and Shi'a mosques. Women's rights have deteriorated under Taliban control. What assessment has been made?

Answer from James Cleverly

The security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile and volatile with Islamic State carrying out deadly terror attacks, including at Kabul airport and Shi'a mosques. The situation for women has become more difficult since the Taliban took power, barring them from many roles in the workplace.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a recent formal assessment of the security situation.

How: Deflecting To Mention Women'S Rights

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Q2 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
Education Women & Equalities
Context

Before the Taliban took control, more than 3.5 million girls were in school and many more in university or vital roles across the economy.

Question

Prior to Taliban control, over 3.5 million girls attended school and held crucial economic roles. Despite Taliban claims that girls can attend school, they are often permitted only up to grade 6 or 7, if at all. The gap between promises and reality is growing. What actions are being taken to provide hope?

Answer from James Cleverly

This year, we doubled our humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan to £286 million, including support for women and girls. We press the Taliban to allow full and equal access to education for all girls of all ages, holding them to commitments made.

Answered
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Q3 Karl McCartney Con
Immigration Brexit Foreign Affairs
Context

Many former UK special forces members vouch for individuals at risk in Afghanistan, but the Department has not acted quickly to relocate these people.

Question

Regarding specific individuals in Afghanistan whose lives or families' lives are at risk due to service alongside UK armed forces and Government agencies, why is the Department not acting swiftly to repatriate them? Would football involvement help?

Answer from James Cleverly

The Afghan relocations and assistance policy allows Afghan nationals who served alongside UK forces or are at serious risk due to such service to settle in the UK. Sadly, not all could be evacuated during Operation Pitting, but efforts continue for evacuation where possible.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address the question of why specific individuals have not been repatriated quickly.

How: Deflecting To Mention Football

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Q4 Dan Jarvis Lab Barnsley North
Immigration
Context

Hundreds of people, including men the questioner served alongside, remain stranded in Afghanistan and are being hunted by the Taliban.

Question

Following up on a previous question about individuals at risk in Afghanistan due to their association with UK forces, what actions is the Government taking to ensure safe passage for those who supported our work?

Answer from James Cleverly

The Afghan relocations and assistance policy facilitates evacuation from Afghanistan. Lord Ahmad speaks regularly with neighbouring countries to facilitate evacuations, taking seriously the debt of honour owed to those brave Afghans at risk due to their support for UK work in the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details on actions taken or planned.

How: Deflecting To Mention Lord Ahmad'S Role

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Q5 Julian Lewis Con New Forest East
Foreign Affairs
Context

At-risk Afghan women who have managed to cross borders are outside the country, while those still in Afghanistan face persecution.

Question

What leverage is being used to ensure that extra aid provided links with Taliban not persecuting at-risk Afghans?

Answer from James Cleverly

We hold the Taliban to their word and base decisions on Afghanistan on facts rather than just words. We make it clear that support is contingent on them behaving as they have said, exploiting this leverage.

Answered
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Q6 Stephen Kinnock Lab Aberafan Maesteg
Foreign Affairs
Context

An ambassador in Kabul sent warning cables to the previous Foreign Secretary about the imminent fall of Kabul, but no action was taken. The current government is under scrutiny for its handling of this situation.

Question

Like the shadow Foreign Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy), I welcome the Foreign Secretary and her team to their places. It has emerged that our ambassador in Kabul sent a series of diplomatic cables to the former Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Dominic Raab), in July and August, warning him that Kabul would fall at pace and with little resistance. The former Foreign Secretary's response to those urgent telegrams was to go on holiday. Will the new Foreign Secretary assure the House that she is putting early-warning systems in place across her Department to ensure that such a catastrophic failure of decision making is never allowed to occur again? Will she commit to coming to the House within the shortest possible timescale to make a statement outlining our political, diplomatic, economic and security strategy for Afghanistan, as opposed to making policy on the hoof, as her predecessor did?

Answer from James Cleverly

The hon. Gentleman takes the opportunity to talk about things that have been widely discussed in this House, rather than about the future. That is of course up to him. The former Foreign Secretary explained his actions and there is nothing much more that I can add. I assure the hon. Gentleman that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and the ministerial team that she leads remain entirely focused on ensuring that where we can exert influence to bring about peace and stability in Afghanistan, we will continue to do so.

Not addressed: The questioner asked for assurance of early-warning systems and a commitment to a statement within a short timescale; the answer did not address these specific points.

How: Discussed Elsewhere, Former Foreign Secretary Explained Actions

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