CONFIDENTIAL
NFIDENTI
OREIGN AFFAIRS
ections in
rway
ections in lland
'Page 116 of 260
had remained about level.
The number of convicted drug offenders had
risen by 16 per cent to a new record level of 30,500. particularly encouraging that the number of confiscation orders made under the Drug Trafficking offences Act had increased: drug dealers had been ordered to pay a total of £8.1 million as compared with £1.2 million in 1987. The statistics showed that the Government was right in pursuing a vigorous attack on the threat from illicit drugs, which in total was becoming more serious.
a brief discussion, it was pointed out that a campaign was being Conducted in some British periodicals, including The Economist, in
our of legalising the sale of drugs. This was highly responsible. The Home Secretary had recently made a speech
demning this campaign and was preparing further material for Ministers to draw upon.
The Cabinet -
Took
CON!
3. THE FOREIGN AND MONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the ruling Labour Party had lost seats in the recent elections in Norway, and there was now another hung Parlament. The general expectation was that the Prime Minister, Mrs Gro Brundtland, would be able to maintain the coalition between the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party, even though the coalition would have less than half the total number of seats. The outcome would significantly affect British interests.
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the Christian Democrats led by Prime Minister Lubbers had obtained 54 seats in the elections in Holland on 6 September. Mr Lubbers was likely to
TIAL CONF
remain Prime Minister though it would be same weeks before the new government could be finally put in place the outcome was satisfactory from Britain's standpoint.
epublic of Buth Africa
revious eference:
C(89) 25.3
THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that President-elect, Mr FW de Klerk, had obtained the mandate for reform which he had sought in the South African elections. Expectations were high that further progress would be made, especially internationally, and
de Klerk
had made a good beginning in his handling of the mass demonstration on the opening of Parliament in Cape Town on 13 September Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Reverend Allan Boesak had
4
Page 116
CONFIDENTIAL
NTIAL
Page 116
CONFIDENTIAL