§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his statement of 15 June,Official Report, column 650, what assistance has been provided to Colombia to aid the fight against drug trafficking; what information he has on the number of people killed in Colombia in the course of suppressing that traffic; and what consideration he gave to the levels of killings when deciding on the level of financial assistance.
§ The Prime MinisterAs indicated in theOfficial Report of 15 June 1992, column 650 we have provided a substantial package of anti-drugs assistance to the judicial and law-enforcement authorities in Colombia. The only accurate figure for the number of people killed in Colombia in the course of suppressing drugs trafficking is the number of anti-narcotics police officers lost, which for 1991 was 35. In deciding on the level of financial 56W assistance, our first consideration has been support for the democratically elected government of Colombia in their fight to maintain the rule of law.