§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the international effort to reduce the drugs trade in Colombia and Bolivia. [16892]
§ Mr. BradshawColombia remains the world's principal source of cocaine. The international community and the Government of Colombia are committed to tackling the drugs trade and reducing the violence and instability with which it is linked. We support the Colombian Government's aim of reducing the cultivation, processing and distribution of drugs by 50 per cent. over the next six years. The UK has also been at the forefront of international efforts to support the peace process in Colombia.
We welcome the considerable progress being made in tackling the drugs trade in Bolivia. The United Nations International Drug Control Programme estimates that illicit coca cultivation in Bolivia has been reduced from 48,600 hectares in 1995 to 14,800 hectares in 2000. This reduction is due to the Bolivian Government's own efforts and international support.