§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reports on the purchase of advanced military hardware by drug gangs in Latin America have been compiled by his Department since January 1997; and what is their current security classification. [60695]
§ Mr. Tony LloydIt is difficult for this Department to collate comprehensive data on these types of purchase, given the clandestine nature of the operations on the drugs cartels. We do actively monitor reports from a variety of sources in the capabilities of drug gangs to get as much information as we can. We have no reason to suppose that advanced military hardware manufactured in the UK has ended up in the hands of drug gangs.