§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to assist South American governments in(a) combating the production of and (b) tackling the international trade in narcotics. [136770]
§ Mr. RammellThe Government are working closely with Latin American and Caribbean countries to address the serious problem of drugs, particularly the production and trafficking of cocaine.
In FY 2002–03, the FCO's Drugs and Crime Fund (DCF) provided over £5 million in counter-narcotics related assistance to priority countries in Latin America and the Caribbean where illegal drugs are produced or trafficked. This has led to the seizure of over 11 tonnes of cocaine, worth over £662 million, throughout the region so far this year.
UK counter-drugs assistance focuses on improving local law enforcement capabilities primarily by providing law enforcement training and drug detection equipment. The UK also has 23 Drug Liaison Officers (DLOs) and three Crime Liaison Officers (CLOs) stationed in the region.
DCF has also supported several UNODC projects in the region, such as training in precursor chemicals in Colombia and illicit coca crop monitoring surveys in Colombia and Peru, which will lead to improved understanding of the nature and scale of the drug problem.