HC Deb 09 January 2003 vol 397 c296W
Mr. Love

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid has been given to(a) Colombia and (b) Bolivia in the last three years; what proportion was to combat production of hard drugs; and if she will make a statement. [89412]

Clare Short

Over the last three financial years, gross bilateral aid to(a) Colombia and (b) Bolivia was:

Gross bilateral aid to Colombia and Bolivia
£000
1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Total DFID Total DFID Total DFID
Colombia 2,190 1,537 2,252 1,730 1,480 934
Bolivia 39.785 6,334 9.837 7,592 31,495 12,684

No DFID funds have supported direct activities to combat the production of hard drugs.

From 1998 to 2001 DFID gave £720.000 to support a UN alternative development programme, to provide sustainable alternative livelihoods to coca growing, in agro-forestry systems, in Bolivia. Since then DFID has not supported alternative development activities in Bolivia.

The FCO Drugs and Crime Fund (DCF), which is active in Colombia and Bolivia, is aimed at reducing the supply of class A drugs to the UK. DCF projects focus on increasing capacity to intercept drugs being trafficked and not on combating production. DCF funds do not come from the aid budget.

In addition, DFID contributes approx 19 per cent. to the EC. The latest available figures for Colombia and Bolivia are as follows:

1998 1999 2000
£ million DFID share £ million DFID share £ million DFID share
Colombia 6.33 1.14 10.94 1.97 9.64 1.78
Bolivia 17.86 3.19 18.60 3.39 16.77 3.10