HL Deb 14 July 1999 vol 604 cc48-9WA
Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What pre-deployment costs have been incurred by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting code **34; and [HL3421]

What costs have been incurred by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting code **37; and [HL3422]

What costs, for the rest of this financial year, have been budgeted for by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting codes **34 and **37; and [HL3423]

What pre-deployment costs (less cost of munitions) have been incurred by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting code **34; and [HL3424]

What costs (less cost of munitions) have been incurred by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting code **37; and [HL3425]

What costs, for the rest of this financial year (less the cost of munitions), have been budgeted for by the Ministry of Defence for operations related to Kosovo under the accounting codes **34 and **37. [HL3426]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Gilbert)

Codes**34 and **37 are special operations codes used by the Army at unit level to mark specific activity in Kosovo operations. They are not accounting codes and do not map directly to central accounting codes. The information requested is not, therefore, available centrally. Overall, as at the end of June, some £57 million of additional expenditure has fallen to the MoD as a direct consequence of the UK's military response to the Kosovo crisis. This figure does not include the costs of replenishing stocks of expended ordnance. The costs of Kosovo operations are not reflected in the Defence Budget for 1999–2000. In accordance with established practice, the net additional costs of these operations will be recorded and will be the subject of a claim on the central reserve.

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