§ Mr. SarwarTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to the Afghan interim administration in halting the drugs trade. [50514]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe UK has taken the lead in co-ordinating international efforts to assist the Afghan Interim Administration to tackle drugs. Sustainable drug control in Afghanistan will require a range of measures, including the creation of alternative legal livelihoods, the reconstruction of infrastructure and the establishment of effective law enforcement and good governance. We have also been working with the interim administration to implement the decree banning opium production issued by Chairman Karzai on 3 April. We have been encouraging other members of the international community to provide similar support.