§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated initial and subsequent cost of the deployment of the Ark Royal group and the units deployed therewith; and how much of that cost will be reimbursed to his Department by the Foreign Office.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe estimated additional cost is expected to be some £30 million if the deployment lasts for one year. It is not possible at this early stage to produce a meaningful breakdown of costs given the variable nature of the operation. No decision has yet been taken on which Department will bear the cost.