I have had two private meetings with the Foreign Secretary with other MPs this week and last.

I have asked for a categorical assurance that, as well as British nationals, he will personally do his utmost to get out of Afghanistan all those Afghans who have worked with our armed forces and the Foreign Office. This is our moral and humanitarian duty.

In fact, I went further and asked him if he could ensure this. Of course he cannot promise to get everyone out but he is hopeful he can get most out and HMG is doing its utmost to ensure this.

My personal view is that we should never have attempted nation-building in a society we barely understood twenty years ago, but President Biden was quite wrong to scuttle out and leave no troops behind. A few weeks ago the PM intimated to me that he would have been prepared to stay but that Biden was determined to leave.

I think the West has let down the Afghan people badly.

I have also been in touch with the Chief Executive of West Lindsey District Council to encourage him to organise a welcome and resettlement help to those Afghans who have been working for us or who are in danger who wish to be settled in Lincolnshire. He and the County Council already have teams working on this.