Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the consequences for his policies of (a) Hezbollah’s alleged involvement in the smuggling of narcotics and (b) the production of Captagon in the Levant.

The UK remains committed to the stability and security of the Levant and broader Middle East, and reducing the threat posed by malign state and non-state activity, including the smuggling of narcotics. The UK announced sanctions on key actors involved in the Captagon trade last month. We engage regularly with partners to support co-operation efforts and to encourage the publication of relevant data on the trade, including successful seizures.