Gordon Brown has told MPs that the UK's commitment in Afghanistan is "long-term" and announced new resources for them.

Following his visit to the country this week, the prime minister used a Commons statement on Wednesday to say that Britain will "continue to fulfil our obligations to the Afghan people and the international community".

He stressed the need for military plans to work alongside a renewed humanitarian drive and efforts to boost the local economy.

Following a review commissioned in the summer, he said "security, political, social and economic" development all need to go together in order to defeat the Taliban insurgency, with more support from international allies required.

Brown claimed more Afghan control of policies was needed, as well as "localisation and reconciliation" and "reconstruction and development".

Since the defeat of al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in 2001, "short-term stabilisation" now needs to turn into "long-term development", he argued.

Operations

On the military operation, the prime minister reported that this year's promised  "spring offensive" did not materialise, allowing significant progress to be made.

"We need to hold and to reinforce what together we have achieved," he said.

"So Britain will maintain a strong military force in Afghanistan of around today's figure of 7,800. It is a contribution second in size only to America.

"And we will increase our support for our forces: I can announce today, fully funded from the reserve, 150 new protected patrol vehicles specially procured for Afghanistan."

'Ownership'

Brown said he would bring to 400 the total of helicopters available to UK forces, alongside an "increasing number of Sea King helicopters... freeing up military helicopters for military tasks".

However he added: "Because we know that military success is only one part of the framework - a necessary but not sufficient condition for progress - we will
train Afghan forces to take ownership of their own security.

"Next year we will aim for 70,000 trained Afghan soldiers, 20,000 more than now, supported by a rising number of British trainers and mentors - 340, part of an overall Nato training force of over 6,000.

"And already the Afghan army is proving itself in Musa Qaleh."

Constitution

He also said that "the challenge of supporting an Afghan lead on security goes wider than the armed forces to include the police and courts and prisons".

Brown said this side of development was set against decades of corruption but that progress was being made, with more police forces coming on stream.

On political development he said the new Afghan constitution was "fragile but still intact".

"Afghans themselves must be persuaded to take the lead in improving governance," he said.

Reconciliation

The prime minister also announced £490m of British funding over six years for two governance and political reconciliation projects.

And on the economy he unveiled an extra £450m for stabilisation and assistance from 2009 to 2012.

"The long-term objective is to support Afghanistan's own national development strategy by channelling our aid through the Afghan government - the best route to achieving sustainable progress and the best value for money," Brown said.

However he added that the country also needs "short-term, high impact stabilisation projects - better roads, more reliable power supplies, clean water and sanitation - which make an immediate difference to the lives of ordinary Afghans and show them the benefits of improved security and governance".

There was a further £90m announced for this year "to help them in their long term efforts against the drugs trade".

Contributions

"This progress must, I believe, now be matched by contributions from other countries in NATO, the EU and beyond," Brown said.

"And we are talking to all our partners to address the immediate needs for more training teams for the Afghan security forces, especially the police, and - with a number of countries - detailed talks on more support helicopters.

"Where countries are unable to deploy their own troops or equipment, we are urging them to look at innovative ways to burden share and help fund those who can."

Brown added: "At all times we will support the hard work, dedication, professional and courage of our armed forces who are doing everything in their power to defeat terrorism and lay the foundations of a stable and secure future for Afghanistan."

Negotiations

Earlier a report in the Daily Mail claimed that the UK government was considering negotiating with the Taliban.

But Brown told MPs: "We are isolating and eliminating the Taliban. We are not negotiating with them."

However the prime minister's spokesman did say that Number 10 supported the Kabul government's efforts to win over disaffected Afghans to the mainstream if they agreed to renounce violence and accept the country's constitution.