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Answering member
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Gareth Thomas
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Thomas, Gareth (3)
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Legislation
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To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his policy towards funding crop sprayer aircraft in support of the Afghan Government's poppy eradication programme.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make a statement on his policy towards funding crop sprayer aircraft in support of the Afghan Government's poppy eradication programme.
Asked by
John Hayes
(Conservative)
Answered by
Gareth Thomas
(Labour; Co-operative Party)
Answering body
Department for International Development
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
21 December 2004
For answer on
12 January 2005
Answered on
12 January 2005
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his policy towards funding
crop sprayer aircraft in support of the Afghan Government's poppy eradication programme. [207097]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Government of Afghanistan's stated policy is not to use aerial methods to eradicate opium poppy crops. DFID
supports this policy position and have no intention of using DFID funds to support aerial crop spraying in any form.
DFID does, though, provide significant assistance to the counter narcotics effort in Afghanistan, mainly through our support to the
provision of alternative livelihoods.
Subjects
Crops; Drugs; Afghanistan; Opium
Date
12 January 2005
Reference
207097; 429 c533W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of Afghanistan and (b) the United Nations on the production of heroin in Afghanistan. - Inc figures.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Government of Afghanistan and (b) the United Nations on the production of heroin in Afghanistan. - Inc figures.
Asked by
Bill Wiggin
(Conservative)
Answered by
Gareth Thomas
(Labour; Co-operative Party)
Answering body
Department for International Development
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
9 November 2004
For answer on
17 November 2004
Answered on
17 November 2004
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the
(a) Government of Afghanistan and (b) the United Nations on the production of heroin in Afghanistan. [197802]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: Opium poppy cultivation is s a growing and complex problem in Afghanistan. It is widely expected that the United
Nations office of Drug Control and Crime (UNODC) 2004 poppy survey will show a substantial increase in poppy cultivation and opium
production from the previous year. Many Afghan farmers are locked into growing opium poppy as the only means of repaying debts,
accessing land, earning cash income and providing security for themselves and their families. To promote the availability of
alternative livelihoods and rural development in Afghanistan, DFID is supporting a number of initiatives through individual funded
projects and support for Afghan Government and United Nations programmes.
The UK is lead nation on counter-narcotics and we provide significant support to the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy. DFID has
lead responsibility for the alternative livelihoods component and plan to increase our commitment from the current level of
£5.5million per year to £20 million in 2005-06. The support of the international community and strong ownership and lead from
the Afghan Government will be crucial to achieving future reductions in opium poppy cultivation.
DFID continues to participate in discussions with the Government of Afghanistan on the institutional arrangements for implementing
the National Drug Control Strategy, including the establishment of a Counter-narcotics Ministry, an accelerated programme to pilot
comprehensive development and counter- narcotics law enforcement in key provinces, tackling the opium debt problem and on how to
make national development more effective in creating sustainable and attractive alternative livelihood opportunities.
An example of the key role DFID is playing is the way we are working with the Afghan Government and International donor community to
help communities develop their own livelihoods through the Afghan National Solidarity Programme. To date, the programme has provided
US$36 million to 3,775 village development projects. In the Yakdharu village in the Badakhshan province, for example,
democratically elected development councils agreed to spend the grant provided through the National Solidarity Programme on
establishing micro-hydro electric power from the village stream. As a result the villagers now have an asset that provides
sustainable electricity to the whole community and a surplus to supply surrounding villages, generating an additional income for the
community. The success of this project has encouraged the community to invest their own money into other infrastructure projects and
a seed bank using the community development council mechanism. DFID has committed £13 million to the National Solidarity
Programme, which is planned to cover all 20,000 villages in Afghanistan by 2007.
To ensure the Afghan Government can effectively manage development in the province, DFID has provided £20 million funding to
the Afghanistan Stabilisation Programme, which is developing links between the central Government and the provinces as well as
strengthening the capacity of provincial and district public administration.
We are in regular contact with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, who are also engaged in discussions on ensuring that
counter-narcotics issues are addressed in Afghan Government and donor programmes and provincial piloting. DFID has recently approved
an Alternative Agricultural Livelihoods Programme with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); budgeted at £3.8million over
2.5 years, and we are also in regular dialogue with the FAO on the implementation of this programme. DFID is also in contact with
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), and the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), all of which have programmes related to alternative livelihoods, for example through labour-intensive public
works or private sector development. DFID has regular contacts with the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) on
a number of issues, including drug production.
Subjects
Crime prevention; Crops; Development aid; Drugs; International assistance; Law and order; Farmers; Production; Afghanistan; Heroin; Opium; UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Date
17 November 2004
Reference
197802; 426 c1516-8W;426 c1520-2W
House
House of Commons
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps have been taken to encourage Afghan farmers to move from growing poppies to other food crops.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps have been taken to encourage Afghan farmers to move from growing poppies to other food crops.
Asked by
Mark Simmonds
(Conservative)
Answered by
Gareth Thomas
(Labour; Co-operative Party)
Answering body
Department for International Development
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Tabled on
22 October 2004
For answer on
1 November 2004
Answered on
1 November 2004
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps have been taken to encourage Afghan farmers to
move from growing poppies to other food crops. [193437]
Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is supporting organisations that are working in a number of poppy growing provinces across Afghanistan,
including Badakhshan, Kandahar and Helmand. These organisations, including the Aga Khan Foundation and the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation, are working with farmers to help them identify and try a range of legal crops, providing seeds, fertilizer
and tools. However, crops alone are not the only way to help those involved in opium poppy farming to earn a legal income. These
projects also work to identify and help with non-crop and off-farm opportunities, including help with animal rearing, improving
animal welfare, and training in crafts such as tailoring.
Subjects
Crops; Agriculture; Afghanistan; Opium
Date
1 November 2004
Reference
426 c1W; 193437
House
House of Commons