HC Deb 23 October 2002 vol 391 cc319-20W
Dr. Tonge

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's assessment is of the change in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in the last 12 months; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce this cultivation. [74887]

Clare Short

2001 was an atypical year for poppy cultivation because of a ban imposed by the Taliban regime. After the fall of the Taliban there was a resurgence in poppy planting, and estimates of area cultivated are only slightly less than that in 2000. This is in spite of a Decree by the Afghan Interim Administration in January 2002 banning the production and processing of opium, and an eradication and compensation scheme which destroyed an estimated 25–30 per cent. of the crop. We are hopeful that poppy cultivation will decline as the international community promotes efforts to create alternative livelihood opportunities for farmers, and to improve the interdiction capacity by the Afghan authorities charged with enforcing the ban. This is only likely to come about as security is maintained and the reconstruction process gathers momentum.

My Department is committed to supporting measures that will help to develop alternative livelihood opportunities for poor people, including in poppy growing areas, in order that there is a consistent shift away from both poverty and poppy cultivation. I have already approved a £1m contribution to the UNDP National Area Development Programme and a £1m contribution towards the work of the Aga Khan Foundation in Badakshan. This is on top of a contribution of £2.8m to quick impact reconstruction projects, some of which are in drug producing areas. The World Bank funded National Solidarity Programme will also be a further significant contribution to community based development. My Department is also planning to provide assistance to the Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development within Afghanistan to develop a sustainable approach towards generating alternative livelihoods, including in poppy growing areas. The UK is further committed to helping wider Afghan led security sector reform and reconstruction efforts.