International Development

Monday 22nd April 2013 Ministerial Corrections

Afghanistan

[Rehman Chishti]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in meeting her Department's target for female children attending primary school in Afghanistan.

[Official Report, 13 March 2013, Vol. 560, c. 280W.]

Letter of correction from Alan Duncan:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Gillingham and Rainham (Rehman Chishti) on 13 March 2013.

The full answer given was as follows:

[Mr Duncan]

DFID has made a large investment in improving education provision in Afghanistan for all children over the last decade. UK development funding through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund has contributed to 5.9 million children attending school in 2011-12. This includes 2.3 million girls, compared with virtually none under the Taliban. We have therefore exceeded our Operational Plan target of contributing to 2.1 million girls attending primary school by 2013-14 and will be working with the Afghan Ministry of Education as they develop new targets.

The correct answer should have been:

[Mr Duncan]

DFID has made a large investment in improving education provision in Afghanistan for all children over the last decade. UK aid funding through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund since 2002 has contributed to 4.1 million children attending school in 2011-12. This includes 1.6 million girls, compared with virtually none under the Taliban. The latest data for the 2012-13 school year will be available from the Afghan Ministry of Education in July 2013.