§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the administrative costs of his Department(a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the defence budget. [8130]
§ Dr. ReidThe defence budget for 1997–98 is £21.822 billion, which reflects a reduction of over 25 per cent. in real terms over the past 10 years. Within this, the Ministry of Defence does not distinguish between costs incurred in delivering its objectives and costs incurred in administering the delivery of those objectives. Responsibility for expenditure on all elements of defence operating costs, which include the costs of administration as well as those of delivering most aspects of military capability, is delegated to thirteen Top Level Budget holders. Planned expenditure by them for 1997–98 is £16,382 million, or 75.1 per cent. of the defence budget.