§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated gross cost of British defence policy in Northern Ireland for 1994–95; and what percentage this constitutes of the total defence budget. [23398]
§ Mr. SoamesThe current estimate of costs incurred by the General Officer Commanding, Northern Ireland in 1994–95 on personnel, stores, services, lands and works is some £510,000,000. This amounts to about 2 per cent. of the total estimated expenditure on the defence budget.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated additional cost of the Army's work in Northern Ireland compared with its standard deployment elsewhere; and what percentage this additional cost forms of the total defence budget. [23399]
§ Mr. SoamesThe cost of deploying the Army varies according to its location around the world and the task it is undertaking; there is, therefore, no standard deployment to form the basis of such a comparison.