HC Deb 11 November 2003 vol 413 cc238-9W
John Barrett

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on poppy production in Afghanistan in relation to the supply of illegal drugs in the United Kingdom. [136623]

Caroline Flint

Afghanistan has in recent years been the country from which upwards of 90 per cent. of heroin available in the UK has originated. Until levels of production of opium in Afghanistan reduce substantially from their current levels we would not expect to see an appreciable reduction in the amounts of heroin targeted on the UK from that source.