Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to progress the delivery of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is one of the most generous relocation programmes in the world, and to date we have relocated more than 10,100 eligible individuals and their families to safety in the UK under ARAP.

We have received a very high number of ARAP applications, the vast majority of which are from individuals who are not eligible. However, we continue to be focused on identifying those who are eligible and in need of our support and will be increasing the resources dedicated to this.

We continue to work closely with other Government Departments and international partners to support moves of eligible persons out of Afghanistan and on to the UK. The Ministry of Defence also continues to work with our colleagues across Government to make sure that the Afghans arriving in the UK who have served alongside our Armed Forces over the last twenty years, are given the warmest of welcomes.

The effective operation of the scheme is kept under regular review within the Department, and it remains a priority for Defence and Her Majestys's Government.