§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will give the total estimated gross cost to public funds of the British involvement in the Gulf War and indicate how much of this cost was recovered and from what sources.
Viscount CranborneThe current estimate of the additional military cost of the Gulf Conflict is £2,355 million, spread over several years. The bulk of the costs are offset by generous cash contributions from other governments totalling £2,049 million. Details of these were given by my right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces in another place on 16 November 1992 (H.C. Deb. Col.WA46). As part of its normal insurance business the Export Credits Guarantee Department has paid up to 31st March 1993 £499 million of claims arising from the situation in the Gulf in 1990–91 and which have yet to be recovered. Of this total, £492 million relates to Iraq and the £7 million balance to Kuwait. In addition, a further £160 million of claims have yet to be examined and possibly paid on Iraq. Other Government departments incurred minor additional costs.