To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the work of the British embassy's drugs team in Kabul in co-ordinating anti-narcotics operations with International Security Assistance Force and the United States Operation Enduring Freedom. (83241)

The Government of Afghanistan rather than the British embassy drugs team in Kabul is responsible for co-ordinating the counter narcotics campaign in Afghanistan. Afghan Ministries are also responsible for implementation of the campaign. Co-ordination of assistance takes place nationally via the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN) and the Counter Narcotics Cabinet Sub-Committee, which brings together all relevant Ministries to oversee and monitor the implementation of the National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). With support from the British embassy drugs team in Kabul, the MCN also chairs a series of working groups to take forward detailed implementation planning for all aspects of the NDCS. International partners including the military take part in the working groups and structures are also in place to ensure Afghan counter narcotics law enforcement operations are co-ordinated and deconflicted with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US Operation Enduring Freedom operations. As partner nation for counter narcotics, the UK continues to encourage international partners including all ISAF troop contributors to provide support to the Afghan counter narcotics campaign in line with the commitments identified in the Afghanistan Compact and with agreed ISAF policy.