Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 February (HL6047), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what discussions they have had with Muslim charities who are able to reach those in need in Afghanistan about the provision of aid.

In August, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would double its assistance for Afghanistan to £286 million this financial year. This will support over 6.1 million people with life-saving aid. Since April, we have disbursed over £261 million and we are working at pace to allocate the remaining funding. On 31 March, the UK with the UN and Germany will host a pledging conference on Afghanistan to raise funds to scale up essential humanitarian support for the people of Afghanistan.

Officials have met frequently with humanitarian NGOs including representatives of Bond, which includes Muslim charities. Our meetings with these organisations form an important part of assessing the changing situation on the ground and how we can address any obstacles to aid getting through.