Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to assist the government of Afghanistan in preventing any illegal trade in lapis lazuli and other minerals.

The UK supports the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) including through strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to detect and report illegal activity such as the illegal trade in Lapis Lazuli and other minerals.

However, because most of this illegal activity occurs in insecure areas where there is little or no government control, the UK is supporting Afghanistan’s long term security and stability; including through providing additional troops to assist the Afghan Forces boost security in the country, and providing £178m aid per year to 2017 to support Afghanistan’s economic growth and development.