Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which date his Department has identified for the total withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

We have a long term commitment to Afghanistan, including through our security and development assistance. Our Armed Forces are committed to assisting the Afghan Government and we will continue to stand together with our Afghan and NATO partners to build a more peaceful, secure and prosperous future for the country.

Although our combat mission has ended, the support the UK provides on issues such as security, development and governance is crucial to building a stable state and reducing the terrorist threat to the UK. Supporting the development of the Afghan security forces ensures that they are capable of preventing terrorists gaining a safe haven in Afghanistan, and preserves the hard fought gains the UK and the international community have achieved in Afghanistan.

The UK regularly reviews its commitment and will consider all options to uphold our commitment to the NATO Resolute Support mission.