---

Afghanistan

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The common message coming from the House is one of support for the armed forces, particularly on the brilliance and success of the recapture of Musa Qala. He is also right—I have talked to him at some length previously about this—that there is no future for Afghanistan's economy as long as people hang on to the idea that Afghanistan can still be the centre supplying most of the world's narcotics. That is why the effort that we are making with the Afghan Government to try to eradicate narcotics on the ground, but at the same time building up systems of law and order and giving alternative livelihoods to the agricultural population, is very important. I know that my right hon. Friend has views on that and I shall be happy to meet him again to talk about it.