Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans she has to increase aid to Afghanistan[77712]Clare Short: At the Tokyo donor conference in January this year I pledged £200 million over five years to support humanitarian andreconstruction needs in Afghanistan. In 2002-03, we originally planned to spend £40 million through UN agencies, NGOs and theAfghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. I have since increased this amount by £25 million, to help meet the increased humanitarianneeds over the coming winter, and to help clear Afghanistan's arrears to the International Financial Institutions so that they canreceive new concessional credits from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. In addition, we have earmarked £1.8 million of ourannual contribution to the UN Mines Advisory Service for Afghanistan.