Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 16 July 2018, Official Report, column 24, what roles UK personnel will be allocated to permit the release of US personnel for other work in Afghanistan.

Further to my statement on 11 July 2018 (Official Report, column 973) the additional UK personnel will join the UK-led Kabul Security Force, which provides security for NATO advisors delivering vital capacity-building to the Afghan Security Ministries in the city, a Quick Reaction Force for NATO personnel caught up in security incidents and directly mentors the Afghan security forces in their protection of the civilian population in Kabul. This uplift will enhance UK support to the Afghan Security Forces at a critical point, given upcoming elections and the Afghan Government's efforts to establish a lasting peace process.