Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to reinstate the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund; and what adjustments have been made to ensure no direct benefit from that scheme accrues to the Taliban.

The UK has been instrumental in unlocking more than $1billion of funds held within the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the ARTF has provided grants to United Nations agencies to support agriculture, education, health, and livelihoods activities. ARTF expenditure does not involve the interim Taliban administration and does not go through their ministries. All funding is subject to strict monitoring and verification to minimise fiduciary risks.