§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the effect of the war in Afghanistan on the supply of heroin to the United Kingdom. [90253]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe disruption of drug production in Afghanistan was not among the aims of the military campaign. However, the fall of the Taliban and consequent appointment of the Afghan Transitional Authority through a Loya Jirga meeting (Grand Council) has created a new opportunity to end Afghan opium production. The UK is co-ordinating international support for Afghanistan's drug control efforts and has produced, in consultation with the Afghan Government, other donors and international agencies, a long-term strategy for building up Afghan drug law enforcement capacity and providing alternative livelihoods to opium poppy farmers. The brutality of the Taliban regime had helped to restrict production of poppies in the final year of their rule. Their replacement by a Government committed to international human rights norms will inevitably see some increase in production. But alternative livelihoods 767W could encourage growers to cease cultivation particularly if the Afghan Government undertake enforced eradication of crops. The strategy we have negotiated with the Afghan Government aims to achieve the Government's target of contributing to the elimination of drugs from Afghanistan within 10 years.