§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the composition of the British elements in the provisional reconstruction teams in Afghanistan; and what will be their rules of engagement. [HL3651]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are joint civil-military teams that draw upon a range of expertise. Although predominantly military in composition, the British contribution to PRTs in Northern Afghanistan includes representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development. The troops who serve in the PRTs are mostly infantry, drawn at the moment from the First Battalion, The Green Howards, together with the appropriate supporting staff. Since 1 July 2004, the UK-led PRTs have been under the command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and so operate under the ISAF rules of engagement, which are robust and consistent with our obligations under national and international law.
§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What efforts they have made to encourage other NATO members to provide troops for the provisional reconstruction teams in Afghanistan. [HL3652]
§ Lord BachMy right honourable friends the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Defence routinely engage with our NATO allies to encourage them to provide troops for the provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan.