§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans her Department has to contract with the armed services to provide emergency cover over the millennium period; and what estimate she has made of the cost of that cover. [62571]
§ Mr. IngramAt present no Government Department can have firm plans involving military support over the millennium period because these will need to be considered in a co-ordinated manner and priorities identified if the demand is too great. The Ministry of Defence have invited Departments to identify by Easter 273W 1999 predictable demands. By then most Departmental plans should be advanced enough to enable potential problems, which may require military aid, to be identified.
At this stage no estimate can be made of likely costs.