HL Deb 06 March 1995 vol 562 c5WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they required any of the Gulf states to pay for the British deployments to the Gulf area in October 1994 and, if so, what sums were involved and from what governments.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Henley):

On 12 October last year, Gulf Co-operation Council Foreign Ministers agreed in principle that the Gulf States should share the cost of the coalition deployment; Kuwait subsequently agreed to meet half of the cost, the others agreeing to bear the rest between them.

The cost of the UK deployment was £10 million, and on 29 January Kuwait informed us that arrangements are now in place to pay its share. We have yet to learn how much each of the other Gulf Co-operation Council States intend to contribute towards the remaining £5 million.