HC Deb 01 March 1999 vol 326 cc504-5W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times in each of the last five years Royal Navy personnel have been involved in activity to assist Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and other agencies to control drug trafficking. [72937]

Mr. Spellar

The number of occasions on which Royal Navy personnel have been involved in support of HM Customs and Excise counter-drug operations over each of the last five years is as follows:

  • 1998: 3
  • 1997: 3
  • 1996: 6
  • 1995: 3
  • 1994: 4

In the Caribbean, the West Indies Guardship has been operating in support of the US led Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (East) on a regular basis throughout the past five years.