Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure (1) girls' education in Afghanistan, and (2) the human rights of women in that country.

The Government has made clear its condemnation of the Taliban's 23 March decision not to re-open girls secondary schools, including through statements from the G7+, female foreign ministers and the UN Security Council. We continue to monitor the Taliban's actions and to raise the rights of women and girls in our political engagement with the Taliban, including pressing them to ensure full and equal access to education for all. Ministers and officials regularly meet Afghan women; on 24 March I [Lord Ahmad] met a diverse group of Afghan women leaders.

On 31 March the UK co-hosted a humanitarian pledging conference with the UN, Qatar and Germany which raised over $2.4 billion for the UN's humanitarian appeal. The Foreign Secretary announced £286 million of aid for Afghanistan for this financial year. We are committed that at least 50% of those we reach with our aid should be women and girls. Our humanitarian programmes will provide assistance to the most vulnerable. We are funding child protection support and supporting access to gender-based violence services.