Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)

My Lords, I thank the Minister for repeating the Government’s Statement. I welcome its content and tone, and it is very much appreciated by former Ministers. We owe all those who served with distinction and valour in Afghanistan a great debt of gratitude. Their efforts to make Afghanistan a better place for all its citizens, and to ensure the safety and security of the United Kingdom and our interests, are immeasurable. It is very concerning that many of them still experience enormous personal risks from the Taliban. It is right that we do all we can to assist them in any way possible. In light of this, I am proud that, when in government, the Conservatives established the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme and the Afghan relocations and assistance policy. As of 30 June, indefinite leave to remain had been granted to 12,874 individuals across the two schemes, many of whom are former members of specialist units. However, we acknowledge that some former members of the Triples have faced unfair decisions relating to their applications. I am pleased that the Government have continued the review into applications from past members of the Triples to the ARAP scheme that was initiated by the Conservative Government in February by the then Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey. It was the right decision to attempt to remedy inconsistencies with applications to the ARAP scheme, and I am proud that the Conservatives took such action and that the Government have continued this work. We on the Conservative Benches fully support this review process, and we want the correct decisions to be made on these very important and time-sensitive applications as speedily and fairly as possible. We hope that His Majesty’s Government will keep your Lordships’ House updated on any further progress with this review. I also welcome the Government’s acceptance and admission that the ineligible decisions were not taken out of bad faith and that any decision made by the previous Government was arrived at only after careful scrutiny of the information available at that time. As the Minister stated, it is a mammoth task to ensure adequate record-keeping in prolonged military operations involving numerous coalition partners, and it is a positive step that new records establishing employment links with some members of the Triples have surfaced. Of utmost importance is that the process moves forward as smoothly as possible. Can the Minister confirm that the Ministry of Defence is working in lockstep with the Home Office to ensure that decisions on the Triples are communicated effectively and in a timely way to those affected? Has the Home Office made the necessary arrangements to ensure that those who have their original decisions overturned do not face further hurdles in their recognition and relocation to the UK? This requires action across government, including Border Force and UK Visas and Immigration, but it also relates to housing and community integration. Does the Minister know whether adequate housing stock is available for those whose decisions are overturned by this review? Furthermore, have His Majesty’s Government liaised with local authorities to ensure that those who arrive are properly supported? I thank the Minister in advance for his answers to these important questions. I end with a call for continued cross-party co-operation and consultation on this issue, which is not only in the national interest but a moral imperative. Too many of those who served alongside our troops in Afghanistan have been persecuted by the Taliban since the withdrawal, and it is our duty now to deliver on our end of the bargain. We hope that the international community continues to monitor the ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by the Taliban and will push them to reverse course as a matter of urgency, for the sake of all the citizens of Afghanistan.