The Commons international development select committee heads to Pakistan on a fact finding mission this week.

The committee will aim to get first hand experience of the humanitarian relief effort in a region hit by long-term conflict and the aftermath of the Western-led coalition's bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

Speaking to ePolitix.com ahead of the trip, committee member and former foreign office minister, John Battle, said the MPs would be asking tough questions and would enter Afghanistan if it is "safe to do so".

"We need to ask a number of questions," he said. "Is it true that there are warehouses full of food, is there back up, is the money all there, how does the food get through? Will it be taken by trucks, are the roads open? Do there need to be delivery by air, air lifts as opposed to air drops where people flag the plane down on to an landing strip and the food is carefully taken out and distributed properly rather than dropped from the sky at 30,000 feet - is that a strategy to be adopted?"

Battle said that it was essential that aid gets through - arguing that it was a "perverse irony" that a renewed obligation to aid had emerged following the terror attacks of September 11."I just want to make sure that food is in the warehouses and make sure it finds its way through to the people who need it. So we need to know from those on the ground whether in fact they've got what they need, whether they can deliver it, and if they need any further help," said Battle.