To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the decision by President Hamid Karzai's cabinet in Afghanistan to re-establish the Department of Vice and Virtue; and if she will make a statement. (89907)

The Afghan parliament has not yet debated the proposal to establish a Department for the Promulgation of Virtue and Prohibition of Vice nor have Terms of Reference been agreed.

We and our international partners are following developments closely and continue to encourage the Afghan government to observe its international human rights obligations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Afghan President on the appointment processes for the new Cabinet and Supreme Court with particular reference to the inclusion of women. (89908)

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this particular matter with President Karzai. The Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister do however have regular conversations with President Karzai on a range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of governors in Afghanistan are female. (89909)

The only female governor is Habiba Sarabi of Bamiyan Province. In total there are 34 provinces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways the Government works with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to support and enhance the counter-narcotics struggle in Afghanistan. (90185)

The UK works very closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on counter narcotics in Afghanistan. We are the biggest single donor to UNODC projects in Afghanistan, contributing £2.2 million in Financial Year 2005-06 to UNODC projects in support of the Afghan government's National Drug Control Strategy. Our contribution this year will be on a similar scale. Afghan-related UNODC projects which the UK supports include: the annual Afghan Opium Survey; the development of a counter narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of judges, prosecutors and investigators; capacity building for the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan; the establishment of a high-security prison wing in Kabul; Afghan/Iranian border control; precursor chemical control; opium demand reduction; and the establishment of the Central Asian Regional Information and Co-ordination Centre. We work closely with the UNODC to ensure that these projects are managed appropriately and deliver against their objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the links between the Taliban, regional warlords and the opium economy in Afghanistan. (91782)

The Taliban derives economic benefits from the drugs trade at the local level. There are longstanding links between the Taliban and traffickers based on personal relationships, tribal loyalties and business interests. They share a common interest in resisting the Afghan government and coalition forces. The Taliban is also attempting to exploit the continued existence of the drugs trade to undermine the central government's authority. In the south, there was evidence earlier this year that the Taliban was encouraging farmers to grow opium poppy and resist Afghan government eradication efforts. The Taliban also received payments from traffickers. However in the north, regional warlords and drug traffickers are more likely to resist the Taliban when this would be in their interests. We continue to assess all links closely and to support Afghan efforts to disrupt these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure co-operation between (a) her Department, (b) the Ministry of Defence and (c) the Department for International Development in tackling the goals agreed in the London Compact. (92129)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Department for International Development (DFID) are working in close co-operation to ensure the Government provide coherent support to the Afghan government as it works with international partners to implement the Afghanistan Compact.

There are regular meetings at ministerial and official level between the three Departments, while FCO, MOD and DFID representatives in Afghanistan co-ordinate efforts to ensure a complementary approach. The deployment of a fully-integrated multi-disciplinary military/civilian mission to Helmand Province demonstrates the importance of a continued cross-government strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in stabilising President Karzai's government since the London Compact; and what successful infrastructure building has taken place in Afghanistan since then. (92131)

The UN-led Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) was set up under the Compact to deliver improved co-ordination of the international community's engagement. The JCMB is leading work to strengthen the capacity of Afghan ministries, including the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics and the Ministry of Finance. Critically to this process, the National Assembly has now approved the 25 cabinet ministers put forward by President Karzai and the national budget for 2006-07.

At the London Conference, the Afghan government presented the Interim National Development Strategy: a credible plan for the Afghan government to achieve its commitments under the Compact and to meet its Millennium Development Goals. The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Since the ARTF was set up by the Afghan government in 2002, it has funded the construction or repair of rural roads, schools, health clinics and irrigation schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in Afghanistan’s Department of Finance in collecting taxes and duties as a result of UK help; and what estimate she has made of how much extra the Afghanistan Government has committed to its poverty reduction and growth programme as a result. (92142)

Domestic revenues have grown impressively in Afghanistan in recent years, albeit from a low base. In 2002-03 domestic revenues were only US $121 million (3.2 per cent. of GDP) but had risen to US $400 million (5.5 per cent. of GDP) by 2005-06.

The UK has actively supported the Afghan Government’s effort to raise revenues, specifically through projects in the Customs and Revenue Departments of the Ministry of Finance. The projects have been successful—validated by recent external reviews—in building the capacity of officials in the Ministry of Finance to implement tax policy and administration. This has also been recognised by the Government of Afghanistan, which has asked the UK to act as lead donor in supporting tax reform. The reforms are an Afghan government-led process implemented by Finance Ministry officials.

Poverty-related spending has also increased substantially over recent years. Health spending increased rapidly from US $16 million in 2002-03 to US $45 million in 2005-06. Education spending has increased from US $48 million to US $142 million over the same period. The UK is further assisting the Afghan Government in its prioritising of poverty and growth-related spending through technical assistance to the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance and through our contribution to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.