§ 35. Lawrie QuinnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in the international fight against the drug trade. [39600]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe international fight against the illicit drugs trade requires political commitment, and practical co-operation. We work bilaterally and multilaterally through the EU and the UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) in our efforts to combat the illegal drugs trade.
The FCO's Drugs and Crime Fund (£7.3 million in 2001–02, rising to £10 million in 2002–03), supports a broad range of project work overseas, including counter-drugs work and capacity-building for law enforcement in all of the key countries concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine to the UK and Europe. FCO-funded training for overseas law enforcement agencies and UK operational co-operation with them has led to some notable drug seizures, removing some of the heroin and cocaine consignments destined for the UK and Europe. We have just strengthened our financial commitment to the work of UNDCP with a further contribution of £2.34 million for counter-narcotics and capacity-building project work in Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, South-eastern Europe, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.