To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requests have been received at the Permanent Joint Headquarters since the beginning of the ISAF deployment in Afghanistan for (a) helicopters, (b) armoured vehicles and (c) additional forces; and what the response of (i) the commitment staff and (ii) Ministers has been. (103723)

[holding answer 27 November 2006]: The current force deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, was announced on 26 January 2006, Official Report, columns 1529-33. Since then, as part of the routine process of evaluating our force structure, the Ministry of Defence and the Permanent Joint Headquarters have regularly received, and actioned, requests from theatre for changes to the military capabilities and equipment deployed. In addition, we conduct more substantial periodic Force Level Reviews which examine equipment and personnel levels.

As a result of these well-proven processes, the Secretary of State for Defence has announced: the deployment of some 130 troops of the RAF Regiment on 15 June 2006, Official Report, column 67, a force uplift of some 870 troops on 10 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1131-35, the deployment of two extra Chinook Helicopters on 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 76, a new vehicle package (Mastiff and Vector) for operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq; and the deployment of an additional Harrier on 18 September 2006, Official Report, column 136.

Any further changes to force levels that are deemed necessary will also be announced to Parliament in the normal manner.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) average and (b) shortest time has been between the completion of training and deployment to Afghanistan of pilots from the (a) Army Air Corps and (b) Royal Air Force. (105969)

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions British forces in Afghanistan have received on (a) eliminating poppy production, (b) attacking Taliban strongholds and (c) reconstruction. (106960)

As my predecessor made clear when he announced the UK deployment to Helmand province on 26 January 2006, Official Report, columns 1529-36, UK forces deployed to Afghanistan as part of a comprehensive cross-Government package in order to establish the security conditions for improved governance, reconstruction and development to take place.

The NATO Operational Plan for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) provides guidance on the range of tasks to be conducted by ISAF contributing forces, including support to counter narcotics and reconstruction. The exact nature of tasks troops undertake at any point in time is determined by the NATO chain of command.