§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the plans(a) agreed to by his Department and (b) being discussed by his Department with regard to the use of British armed forces and personnel during expansion of NATO operations in Afghanistan; [158834]
(2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the expansion of NATO operations in Afghanistan on the number of (a) international forces and (b) British armed forces based in Kabul. [158835]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 8 March 2004]The expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will be carried out under a comprehensive NATO operational plan currently being prepared by the Alliance. This will assess troop requirements both in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan. Decisions on the United Kingdom's military contribution to the international forces there will depend on the requirements of the operational plan and upon our determination to build on the success of the ISAF by offering to lead its expansion in Northern Afghanistan.