Summary

  • Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has appeared before the MPs of the Foreign Affairs Committee

  • He said intelligence suggested Kabul "would not fall this year"

  • He added the "central assessment" was that "deterioration [of security] would be incremental"

  • But he said contingency planning was underway earlier this year

  • That planning included reducing embassy staffing and relocating more Afghan translators

  • He also said he can't say with "precision" how many UK-eligible people are left in the country

  • The foreign secretary was on holiday as the Taliban approached Kabul

  • He told the committee "with hindsight" he would not have been in Greece

  • But he insisted he was still able to attend meetings and "engage with international partners"

  • He also declined to say exactly when he went on holiday

  • Mr Raab said all those whose names were found on documents after the UK left its Kabul embassy are now in the UK

  1. Good afternoonpublished at 13:34 British Summer Time 1 September 2021

    Welcome to our coverage of this afternoon's Foreign Affairs Committee.

    Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is due to face MPs' questions over his handling of the UK's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    Parliament is still on its summer break, or recess, so this is a special question session. It's due to start at 2pm.