---

Afghanistan

My Lords, I welcome the Statement very warmly. It is a comfort to see on the Front Bench noble Lords from all three of the departments concerned. It shows that there is true commitment in this House. A metaphor comes to mind: if Tony Blair had Iraq on his back as an albatross, perhaps we should hope that the new Prime Minister is being guided by a swan into the calmer waters of Afghanistan. I shall not give him all the credit because our new ambassador has shown a remarkable enthusiasm for hearts and minds, as the noble Lord, Lord McNally, said. This is a new direction. Given that the Statement was 15 minutes long, I hope that we will have the opportunity of a full debate. This is an exceptionally important subject for the whole country and we want to explore all the aspects beyond defence. Perhaps I may take up one point by way of a question and by way of a warning. There is a new enthusiasm for administrative reform in strengthening institutions in Afghanistan, but we should beware of a new level of bureaucracy. There are many effective channels of development at the moment, in which, naturally, because of my own background, I include the NGOs. We must ensure that the local and provincial elements, including the governors, are properly supported and we must not overlay a new level of bureaucracy that may lead to corruption.