§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the total monthly cost to the UK of(a) civil and (b) military operations in Iraq. [123342]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Treasury does not estimate such costs in the manner requested. In April 2003, the Department for International Development set aside £210 million for reconstruction and humanitarian work in Iraq. As of 26 June, £154 million of this has been allocated to UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and NGOs. A further £60 million was set aside by the Chancellor in the Budget to support the work of the UN on the reconstruction and development of Iraq.
It would be premature to make an estimate of the total costs of the recent military campaign in Iraq. The Chancellor announced in the Budget a £3 billion special reserve.