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Afghanistan: Roulement

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Bob Ainsworth) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Further to my right honourable friend the Prime Minister’s Statement on Afghanistan on 14 October 2009, I can announce that, in addition to those units named in my Written Ministerial Statement of 15 July 2009 on the roulement of 19 Light Brigade by 11 Light Brigade, the following units will deploy to Afghanistan: 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, which will now deploy as a complete unit; Elements of 30 Signal Regiment; Elements of 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (King’s, Lancashire and Border); and Elements of 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment. The deployment of these units will allow us to uplift our force levels to 9,000 troops on an enduring basis. As the Prime Minister explained in his Statement, UK force levels will be further increased to 9,500 troops if certain conditions are met. This uplift would be provided by the deployment of 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (The Royal Welch Fusiliers).