Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Afghanistan: Reconstruction and State-building Contracts

Monday 15 November 2021 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Tommy Sheppard asked about the effectiveness of private companies contracted by the Department for reconstruction and state-building in Afghanistan.
  • The Ministry of Defence did not contract private companies to undertake state-building as part of UK military operations in Afghanistan.
  • Tommy Sheppard inquired about details of contracts the Department has with Adam Smith International regarding Afghanistan.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Tommy Sheppard SNP
Defence
Context

The question stems from a need to assess the effectiveness of private companies contracted for reconstruction and state-building activities during the UK's military operations in Afghanistan.

Question

If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the private companies contracted by his Department for (a) reconstruction and (b) state-building during the UK's involvement in Afghanistan.

Answer from James Heappey

The Ministry of Defence did not contract private companies to undertake state-building as part of UK military operations in Afghanistan. Reconstruction activity could take many forms and could be commissioned in many ways, both from within the MOD and from elsewhere in Government. Does the hon Gentleman have a particular company in mind?

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm or deny if private companies were contracted for state-building activities.

How: Does The Hon Gentleman Have A Particular Company In Mind?

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Q2 Tommy Sheppard SNP
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from concerns about the lack of transparency regarding £54 million spent by the Foreign Office with Adam Smith International, which is believed to have been involved in reconstruction activities in Afghanistan.

Question

The Foreign Office tells me it has spent £54 million with a company called Adam Smith International, but it will not tell me on what the money was spent. Can the Minister assure me that he will provide details of any contracts his Department has with Adam Smith International with regard to Afghanistan? There has clearly been a failure of nation-building in Afghanistan, and this Parliament needs to consider whether that failure is related to the organisations that were chosen to implement Government policy and the programmes they developed on the ground. May I ask for further assurance that the cloak of national security will not be used to withhold information?

Answer from James Heappey

As I said, the Ministry of Defence did not contract with companies to undertake state-building activity. I will clarify whether Adam Smith International had any role in anything we might count as reconstruction. The hon Gentleman mentioned the Foreign Office, and his question might be better addressed to colleagues there.

Not addressed: Did not address specific requests about details of contracts or assurances against withholding information.

How: The Hon Gentleman Mentioned The Foreign Office, And His Question Might Be Better Addressed To Colleagues There.

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