§ 33. Mr. Sayeedasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the present position in regard to the posting of drug liaison officers overseas.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government attach considerable importance to strengthening the network of United Kingdom drug liaison officers overseas. Now that the Indian Government have agreed to the postings of drug 643W liaison officers in Delhi and Bombay, there will shortly be a total of 12 police and customs officers in post in western Europe, the Mediteranean, the Asian sub-continent, South America and the Caribbean.
At their meeting on 20 October EC Ministers invited officials to examine the scope for creating a co-ordinated network of drug liaison officers to monitor developments in producer countries. The work which has already been put in hand was endorsed by their Ministers, meeting on 9 December; a meeting of experts is being held today and work continues under the Belgian Presidency of the Council of Ministers.