§ Mrs. EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the total cost to public funds of service pensions(a) nationally and (b) by region for the most recent financial year, indicating the number of ex-service personnel to which these are paid. [131593]
§ Mr. SpellarThe total expenditure on Service pensions for financial year 1999–2000 was £2.205 billion and is paid to around 335,000 pensioners. Analysis of this expenditure by region is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.