Drugs (Hansard, 29 November 1989)

§ 16. Mr. Burt
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse; and if he will make a statement.

§ 71. Mr. Burns
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse.

§ 90. Miss Widdecombe
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current United Nations policies to combat drug abuse.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
The United Nations performs a vital role in the international anti-drugs effort, but there is much scope for improvement. We are supporting efforts to secure additional resources for the United Nations drugs effort and structural reforms to make its work more cost-effective.

§ 19. Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the involvement of his Department in the efforts to reduce the illegal imports of drugs from Colombia.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
The Department, and Her Majesty's embassy in Bogotoa, liaise closely with the Colombian authorities on anti-narcotics measures, and are currently supervising the delivery and implementation of the special package of drugs-related training and equipment for Colombians announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 27 September.

§ 80. Mr. Evennett
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking against drug trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Butler
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking against drug trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
The United Kingdom has signed the 1988 United Nations convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, adopted in December 1988. Our Drug Trafficking Offences Act provides strong powers for the tracing, freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of trafficking. We have agreed bilateral agreements or arrangements to reciprocate these powers with 11 countries and are negotiating with a number of others.
Britain is the fourth largest donor to the United Nations fund for drug abuse control.
We are also hosting a world ministerial summit next April to reduce the demand for drugs and combat the cocaine threat.

§ 82. Mr. Arbuthnot
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the worldwide demands for illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.
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§ 104. Mr. Hayes
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the worldwide demand for illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

§ 122. Mr. Simon Coombs
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for an international conference in London next year on the subject of reducing the demand for cocaine and other illegal drugs.

§ 131. Mr. Gregory
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for an international conference in London next year on the subject of reducing the demand for cocaine and other illegal drugs.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
We are hosting a world ministerial summit in London in April 1990 to reduce the demand for drugs and combat the cocaine threat. The Prime Minister will open the summit and President Barco of Colombia and the UN secretary-general have agreed to speak at the opening ceremony. The United Kingdom is also providing, or has provided, bilateral assistance to demand reduction projects in such countries as Barbados, Nigeria, Peru and Malaysia.

§ Mr. Barry Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what he is doing to encourage China to sign the single convention on narcotic drugs.

§ Mr. Sainsbury
The People's Republic of China acceded to the single convention on narcotic drugs in 1985.