§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the(a) size and (b) duration of British military patrols outside Kabul in Afghanistan. [125008]
§ Mr. IngramThe main body of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) began to deploy to Mazar-e-Sharif on 10 July 2003 and is still in the process of establishing itself in the city. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence explained to the House on 8 May 2003,Official Report, columns 38–40WS, the PRT will be active across the five surrounding provinces of Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, Sar-e-Pol and Samangan. In preparation for that role, advance teams have recently visited sites across these provinces at irregular intervals.