Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July to Question 34013, what assessment he has made of whether the objective of developing the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces has been achieved; and what level of financial assistance the UK and its allies are providing to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.

We are proud of the work British and allied forces have done in the last two decades. Our armed forces, alongside our diplomatic and development staff, and those of our allies, enabled 3.6 million girls to go to school we have been protected from Al Qaeda in Afghanistan throughout the time of our engagement there.

All aid to the Afghan Government has now been paused. There has been no direct financial assistance to the Afghan security forces this year. When funding was provided, this was facilitated through a NATO multi-donor process.