Written question asked by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) on Thursday, 21 July 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 October 2005. It was answered by Adam Ingram (Labour) on Monday, 10 October 2005 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Colombia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Department has spent on military aid to Colombia in each of the last five years.

Answer: In Financial Years 2003–04 and 2004–05 the cost of military assistance provided by the UK MOD to the Colombian armed forces was around £120,000 per year. This assistance covered Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training and the provision of courses to members of the Colombian armed forces, both in Colombia and in the UK. The former aimed to reduce the number of civilian and military deaths from explosive devices, and the latter at introducing Colombian military personnel to British Defence concepts in key areas, such as Rules of Engagement and democratic and accountable control of the armed forces.The information for previous years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Secondary information