Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with his Peruvian counterpart on (a) the expansion of oil palm plantations and (b) narcotics production.

I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October 2023 and held discussions with senior representatives of the Peruvian Government, including my former counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Higueras Hare and separately the former Minister for the Environment, Albina Ruiz. We discussed a range of issues including the protection of Peru's environment and the threats posed by serious organised crime, including illegal narcotics production.