Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that girls of all ages can return to school in Afghanistan.

The Government is committed to upholding women and girls' rights in Afghanistan, including the right to an education. We have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict girls' access to education, including through public statements and UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions, most recently on 19 October. We continue to press the Taliban on women and girls' rights in our political engagement. We are providing education funding through NGO partners, the UN system, and multilateral funds including the World Bank Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education.