Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the ability of the Afghan economy to support its security forces from 2015 onwards. [136241]

Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office: The International Community has pledged $4.1 billion from 2015 to fund the Afghan National Security Forces in the critical years after transition, to which Afghanistan will initially contribute $500 million. In the longer term, UK and international partners are working with the Afghan Government to encourage sustainable economic growth so that it can meet its security and development expenditure. At the Tokyo Conference, the Afghan Government set out a strong programme of financial and economic reforms designed to maintain growth and reduce dependence on donor funding.

| Hansard