§ Lord Finsbergasked Her Majesty's Government:
What have been the United Kingdom assessed contributions to the United Nations organisation in each year since 1979; and what is the total of the 63WA sums relating to expenditure incurred on behalf of the United Nations by the United Kingdom remaining unpaid as at December 1993.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe UK's assessed contributions to the UN Regular Budget over the past sixteen years are as follows:
$ 1979 21,521,505 1980 22,813,748 1981 25,479,071 1982 26,960,090 1983 27,475,843 1984 30,340,312 1985 30,735,312 1986 34,041,110 1987 35,212,486 1988 35,192,623 1989 36,307,798 1990 38,436,237 1991 44,775,548 1992 49,437,654 1993 51,229,662 1994 151,067,778 1Provisional. At 31 December 1993 the UK was owed $862,643 (£575,000 approx) for a claim for contingent UNTAG (Namibia).
As of 31st December 1993 the UN had paid standard rate reimbursement for our UNPROFOR troop contributions and rations for the period to end September 1993. We have since received troop costs for October and November 1993. Refunds are still due for troop costs for December 1993 (about£1.4 million) and rations for October to December 1993 (about £ 1 million). MoD bills for UK participation in UNPROFOR were received by the FCO at the end of 1993 for the period April—June 1993 (£ 13.9 million excluding VAT). Claims for reimbursable elements (such as vehicles, equipment) are being pursued with the UN. In due course we stand to reclaim from the UN about 50 per cent. of the MoD extra costs.
The only other UN reimbursement we may claim relates to UK participation in UNFICYP. The operation in Cyprus was however only brought on to UN assessed contribution funding from June 1993. At 31 December the UN had reimbursed £ 1.46 million for UK troop costs since June 1993, and we are due to receive a further £941,000 for the period to 31 December 1993. We also expect to claim some £ 6 million for other support costs incurred between June and December 1993.