§ Norman LambTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the production of his Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge. [171139]
§ Mr. CaplinThe Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03 (HC1125) was published by TSO (The Stationery Office). This was the first year for which the Annual Performance Report and Departmental Resource Accounts have been published as a single document. The MOD bought 750 copies of the Annual Report and Accounts 2002–03 at a cost of £19,584.00. MOD copies were distributed within the Department, to other Government Departments, other Governments, the HCDC, the House Libraries,208W Conservative and Liberal Democrat Defence and Treasury spokesmen, the Leader of the Cross Benches, and to members of the press. The Report is available on the MOD website, www.mod.uk
TSO's production costs and the number of copies it printed are commercially confidential. However, TSO has advised that as of 20 May 2004, it had sold 402 copies of the Report at the cover price of £36.00.
Producing the Annual Report draws on performance management and financial information across the Department. A large number of people are involved in the process and it is not possible to calculate the cost of the Report's production without incurring disproportionate expense.