§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What has been the cost to the British taxpayer of the United Kingdom's support for United States air action in Iraq; whether it has been subjected to political or military cost/benefit analysis; and, if so, with what result. [HL4552]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanCoalition patrols of the no-fly zones remain an essential humanitarian task in support of UN Security Council Resolution 688. They prevent Saddam Hussein from using his air force to repress the Iraqi people in the north and south of Iraq.
189WAInformation on the expenditure to date this year on ongoing military operations in the Gulf is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost. However, excluding the value of assistance provided through host nation support, the cost to the UK of air operations in the Gulf amounted to some £35 million in the last financial year and is forecast to be some £28 million this year.