§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons why £43,000 was misappropriated from public funds during the Gulf war; and to which cost centre the sum was reimbursed in the transaction mentioned at page 20 of his departmental appropriation accounts, 1994–95, volume 1, class 1 on defence, HC paper 757–I, of 17 October. [41469]
§ Mr. SoamesThe sum of £43,000 was reimbursed in the transaction mentioned at page 20 of the MOD's departmental appropriation accounts, 1994–95, volume 1, class 1 on defence, HC paper 757–I, of 17 October, following the conviction of an officer who admitted he had defrauded the MOD of that sum while on service in the middle east between May 1992 and October 1993.
By their nature, consolidated fund extra receipts are sums that the MOD is not allowed to retain for the benefit 595W of defence votes. Therefore, no departmental cost centre has been reimbursed with this recovery.