§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what new money he pledged to Afghanistan at the recent Donor Conference in Berlin. [166724]
§ Hilary BennAt the Afghanistan donor conference in Berlin I announced an increase of the UK pledge to Afghanistan from £200 million over 5 years, to £500 million over the same period.
When DFID made the pledge of £200 million over five years in Tokyo in January 2002, this only related to DFID funds for humanitarian and reconstruction work. Since then funding for Afghanistan has become available from other parts of Whitehall, with the Global Conflict Prevention Pool establishing a programme for Afghanistan (£55 million over three years), and the formulation of a counter narcotics strategy with specific 596W funding (£70 million over three years). Inclusion of these figures in the pledge announced allows them to now be properly recognised by the Afghan Government.
Since the pledge look effect in March of 2002, DFID has disbursed over £150 million. The new pledge takes our reconstruction funding for Afghanistan to £375 million, this represents £175 million in new money.