Departmental Expenditure Limit

HC Deb 24 June 2002 vol 387 c679W

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 will be accounted for by staff costs; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [61021]

Mr. Ingram

In 2002–03 staff for service and civilian personnel costs are planned to be £9.777 billion. This is some 40 per cent. of the budgeted Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) of £24.597 billion provided for in the Main Supply Estimates (Cm 5510).

In 2001–02 the provisional outturn is £9.377 billion which represents some 38 per cent. of the DEL agreed at Spring Supplementary Estimates of £24.690 billion. In Main Estimates 2001–02 (Cm 5109) staff costs were planned to be £9.533 billion within a total of £23.770 billion, some 40 per cent.