§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking with the drug-producing countries to enable their farmers to switch production to other produce. [32036]
§ Mr. BaldryGovernment support for alternative development and crop substitution projects is channelled via the United Nations drugs control programme to which the UK is currently the second biggest donor. Since 1985 the ODA has committed £7 million to promote crop substitution in the opium-growing areas of the Dir valley in Pakistan and since 1988 £4.5 million to a water and sanitation project in the Chapare in Bolivia, an important area for coca cultivation. Both projects are administered by UNDCP. We have recently contributed £100,000 to enable UNDCP to prepare a strategy to reduce illicit poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. In addition, as I 125W explained in my reply on 8 February 1995, to the hon. Member for Carrick, (Mr. Foulkes) Official Report, columns 278–79, ODA has carried out research into alternative crops in Peru and north Morocco and has funded desk studies covering the main coca growing areas of Asia.