Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release, published on 12 January 2026, entitled UK and Ecuador join forces to tackle cocaine trade at source, what the cost was of providing equipment to Ecuador to assist with preventing the export of drugs since 2020.

Home Office International Operations and UK law enforcement are stationed in Ecuador with officers providing training, equipment and support to enhance the capabilities of Ecuadorian law enforcement – better preventing cocaine from reaching British borders.

Funding for UK law enforcement activity and support in Ecuador is provided via the Integrated Security Fund, Home Office budgetary allocations and law enforcement agency budgets.

The Home Office does not comment on overseas operational deployments for security reasons.