To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prevalence of the kidnapping of foreign workers in Afghanistan; what impact this has on diplomatic and Department for International Development activities in that country; and if he will make a statement. (193369)

Kidnapping is considered a high threat throughout Afghanistan, with a number of kidnappings in the country in the past 12 months.

Our diplomatic and development staff are protected as much as possible by robust security measures. All threats, including that of kidnap, are constantly reviewed to ensure our staff have appropriate levels of protection. We try to strike a balance that allows staff to carry out useful work in Afghanistan, while making reasonable provision against the risk of kidnap and other security threats.