<p><br /> Defence Secretary Liam Fox has promised British troops in Afghanistan that the new coalition Government would ensure they have everything they needed to do the job.<br /> </p><p><br /> On his first visit since taking office this month, he also vowed there would be no going back on a Tory pledge to double the operational allowance paid to those on the frontline.<br /> </p><p><br /> Dr Fox, Foreign Secretary William Hague and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell flew into Camp Bastion in the early hours after a day of talks in Kabul on Saturday.<br /> </p><p><br /> They were diverted to the Helmand base after being forced to tear up plans to visit Kandahar Airfield after it came under attack from the Taliban.<br /> </p><p><br /> But the three ministers - on the first visit to the country by members of the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat administration - affirmed their commitment to the US-led strategy already in place.<br /> </p><p><br /> Mr Hague repeatedly refused to put a date on when British troops might start to withdraw from the country. They currently number about 10,000.<br /> </p><p><br /> Dr Fox also said the Tories' manifesto promise to double the operational allowance for troops serving in Afghanistan had been included in last week's coalition agreement.<br /> </p><p><br /> The allowance is presently worth about £2,600 per six-month tour and is tax-free.<br /> </p><p><br /> The three ministers were flown into Lashkar Gah on Chinook helicopters, which then took them on to Nad-e Ali, where they were shown the results of dramatic improvements in security in recent months.<br /> </p>
