§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of basing a squadron of RAF maritime reconnaissance aircraft in Cyprus.
§ Mr. PattieWithout buying more aircraft it would be possible to base a Nimrod maritime reconnaissance squadron in Cyprus only by redeploying an existing squadron from the United Kingdom. On that basis the direct operating costs of the squadron would be about £2 million a year more in Cyprus than in the United Kingdom. Additionally, substantial capital expenditure would be needed in Cyprus to adapt and equip workshops and stores, and to provide aircraft support equipment and spare parts. It is not possible to assess this expenditure without deeper study.
There would also be a cost in military terms of deploying a squadron away from the United Kingdom, where it is most needed operationally.