Gulf Crisis

HC Deb 07 February 1991 vol 185 cc218-9W

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 17 January,Official Report, column 547, on the Gulf crisis, how much of the operating costs incurred up to 16 January in Operation Granby is expenditure which would not have been incurred anyway.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

In excess of £700 million of the full operating costs up to 16 January would not otherwise have been incurred.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 17 January,Official Report, column 547, on the Gulf crisis, how much of the costs incurred up to 16 January in Operation Granby, is replacement costs of equipment where payment will be made outside the current financial year; and when he estimates that these payments will be made.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

None of the costs incurred up to 16 January related to equipment replacement costs.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of(a) the daily cost of British involvement in the Gulf crisis and (b) the daily cost, excluding the costs of salaries, equipment replacement and other relevant expenditure which was already committed before the crisis began.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The latest estimate of the full operating costs that fall to the Ministry of Defence to date and in the financial year 1990–91 is over £1 billion and over £1.25 billion respectively. The proportion which is additional to costs already committed before the crisis began is about three quarters and two thirds respectively. The proportion of costs reduces because the greater part of the additional costs was equipment which was committed before hostilities started.

Mrs. Beckett

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of(a) the total cost of British involvement in the Gulf crisis and (b) the proportion of that total which is additional to costs already committed before the crisis began (i) to date and (ii) in the financial year 1990–91.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The full daily operating cost to the Ministry of Defence of British involvement in the Gulf crisis is estimated to be over £4 million per day. The daily cost including expenditure committed before the crisis began is estimated to be about 1.5 million per day.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what date he was first made aware of Iraq's possession, or steps to get possession, of a 350mm gun of which component parts were made by United Kingdom firms; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The Ministry of Defence first became aware of Iraq's attempts to obtain components for a very large calibre gun from United Kingdom firms in April 1990.