§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the cost to date and the estimated cost to the end of the calendar year of the use of Hercules aircraft in Ethiopia.
§ Mr. LeeThe cost of the airlift operation from November 1984 to the end of July 1985 is estimated to be £13.5 million, of which £9 million is being met by the Ministry of Defence and £4.5 million by the Overseas Development Administration. The cost of continuing the airlift operation until the end of the calendar year is estimated at £7.5 million, to be divided equally between the Ministry of Defence and the Overseas Development Administration.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Defence, why the cost of the use of Hercules aircraft in Ethiopia comes out of the defence budget.
§ Mr. LeeAs an exceptional case, it was agreed that the Ministry of Defence would fund the whole cost of the airlift operation in Ethiopia for the initial deployment of three months. When the deployment was subsequently extended it was agreed that the cost would be shared equally by the Ministry of Defence and the Overseas Development Administration.