Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Venezuelan Opposition in (a) Venezuela, (b) other Latin American countries, and (c) the United Kingdom, following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the quantity of Venezuelan drug exports prevented from being smuggled to the UK in each year since 2020.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities. Cocaine is smuggled into the UK via a number of different routes and methodologies, which frequently change in response to international law enforcement activity. The Home Office does not publish data by country of origin. Since the beginning of 2020, Border Force, across England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have seized the following amounts of cocaine from overseas:
Year | Amount of cocaine seized (Kgs) |
2020 | 6,512 |
2021 | 16,044 |
2022 | 16,337.33 |
2023 | 18,038.14 |
2024 | 26,143.19 |
2025 (Q1 & Q2) | 15,268.37 |
The National Crime Agency’s National Strategic Assessment 2025 on Drugs provides further detail on cocaine flows and can be found here - NSA 2025 - Drugs - National Crime Agency.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the quantity of Venezuelan drug exports smuggled into the UK in each year since 2020.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities. Cocaine is smuggled into the UK via a number of different routes and methodologies, which frequently change in response to international law enforcement activity. The Home Office does not publish data by country of origin. Since the beginning of 2020, Border Force, across England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have seized the following amounts of cocaine from overseas:
Year | Amount of cocaine seized (Kgs) |
2020 | 6,512 |
2021 | 16,044 |
2022 | 16,337.33 |
2023 | 18,038.14 |
2024 | 26,143.19 |
2025 (Q1 & Q2) | 15,268.37 |
The National Crime Agency’s National Strategic Assessment 2025 on Drugs provides further detail on cocaine flows and can be found here - NSA 2025 - Drugs - National Crime Agency.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what intelligence did she receive from UK sources as to the build up of operations by the US ahead of their operation in Venezuela.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy under successive governments not to comment on intelligence matters. But as the Foreign Secretary made clear in her statement to the House on 5 January, the UK Government had no advance knowledge of the operations to which she refers.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions were held with the US Government on Venezuela ahead of their military operation.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy under successive governments not to comment on intelligence matters. But as the Foreign Secretary made clear in her statement to the House on 5 January, the UK Government had no advance knowledge of the operations to which she refers.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has spoken with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on support for Guyana in light of (a) ongoing instability in Venezuela and (b) Venezuela’s territorial ambitions in Guyana.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate. Furthermore, let me point out the Essequibo border was settled more than 125 years ago, through international arbitration. The UK's support for Guyana's sovereignty is unwavering. We will continue to work with allies and regional partners to avoid escalation in tensions on the Venezuela/Guyana border.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications of the arrest of Nicolás Maduro for Venezuela’s territorial ambitions in Guyana.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate. Furthermore, let me point out the Essequibo border was settled more than 125 years ago, through international arbitration. The UK's support for Guyana's sovereignty is unwavering. We will continue to work with allies and regional partners to avoid escalation in tensions on the Venezuela/Guyana border.
Asked by: Jeremy Corbyn (Independent - Islington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date her Department last raised the issue of the disputed territory of Essequibo with Venezuelan officials.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 12 January 2026 to Question 103712.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment he has made of the legality of the US military operation to capture President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by the Law Officers, or requested of the Law Officers, and the Convention applies to your question.
The Law Officers’ Convention can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:
“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding her Department has directly or indirectly provided to organisations for the purposes of advocacy in Venezuela in each year for which information is available.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 15 May 2025 to Question 50066. He can find details of all programmes supported in Venezuela on the GOV.UK Development Tracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/).