HC Deb 17 July 2003 vol 409 cc581-2W
Mr. Ancram

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place since the Afghan conflict with the US Administration concerning the possible transfer of UK citizens held at Guantanamo Bay to UK custody; and if he will make a statement. [125505]

Mr. Straw

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) today (UIN 125675).

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the result of the invasion of Afghanistan by the coalition on the change on the amount of land used for cultivation of opium poppies; and what he expects the change to be in the level of production in(a) the current year and (b) the next three years. [126467]

Mr. Rammell

The disruption of drug production and trafficking was not among the aims of the military campaign waged in Afghanistan. Any damage to the drugs trade as a result of coalition activity would be incidental to the principal aims of the campaign and would not be covered in any battle assessments.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. They are in the process of completing the 2003 survey. The final results will be available in the autumn. Although it appears that there has been significant displacement of cultivation within Afghanistan, our current expectation is that the total area under poppy cultivation will be broadly similar to that last year. In addition, however, this year's crop has suffered significant damage from moisture-related diseases that are likely to result in a lower opium yield. It is not clear what the size of the Afghan opium crop will be in subsequent years.