Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what contingency plans his Department made in response to the US Government's announcement of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

Following President Biden's 14 April announcement, we worked intensively with the US, both on military and civilian channels, to ensure an orderly and co-ordinated withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan. We looked at many options, including the potential for staying longer or increasing our presence, but like our NATO allies, we had to be realistic in what was achievable without a US Forces presence.