§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates he visited Colombia; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThe visit between 8 and 11 September took place in an itinerary over 6 to 14 September which also included Venezuela and Peru.
It was principally concerned with drugs and had three main objectives: to see local problems at first hand; to explore the scope for further effective bilateral co-operation; and to consider the implications for policy in the United Kingdom.
In each of the three countries, I discussed with the President and senior Ministers the many aspects, domestic and international, of the drugs problem. In Colombia, I was able to see for myself some of the valuable results of our programme of assistance to the Colombian Government in their fight against drugs. In Peru, in addition to drugs issues, I took the opportunity to raise other matters such as human rights and the forthcoming elections.