§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
What will be the United Kingdom's participation in the joint regional teams in Afghanistan; what forces will be committed; and what are the teams' objectives. [HL2148]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)The UK has agreed in principle to lead one of the provincial reconstruction teams, as they are now known, and possibly contribute to others. It is not possible at this point to define the precise force requirements since this will vary according to the needs of the region in which the team deploys. We hope the provincial reconstruction teams will facilitate the development of a stable and secure environment; promote security sector reform and reconstruction; and underpin the authority of the transitional administration.
§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
How they respond to the concerns of nongovernmental organisations in Afghanistan about the precise role of the joint regional teams; whether soldiers in uniform are to carry out humanitarian aid and reconstruction work; and how this will affect the status of non-governmental organisations in the communities concerned.[HL2149]
§ Baroness AmosFCO, MoD and DfID officials have held three substantive meetings with NGOs since December 2002 to discuss the provincial reconstruction team concept. This concept is still evolving: we hope that lessons being learned from three pilot US PRTs will help shape the concept in a way that will satisfy NGO concerns. We are working with the US, UN and Afghan authorities to identify the most effective way of addressing the concerns expressed so far.