§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's budget was in(a) cash terms and (b) at 2002–03 prices for each year from 1997–98 to 2002–03; what his estimates are for each year from 2003–04 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [142030]
§ Mr. IngramThe Ministry of Defence's outturn for 1998–99 to 2002–03 and plans for 2003–04 to 2005–06 at outturn prices are set out in The Government's Expenditure Plans for the MOD 2003–04 to 2005–06. These exclude the cost of unprogrammed operations and conflict prevention. At 2002–03 prices they are as follows:
570W
£ million Outturn Prices 2002–03 Prices 1998–99 22,321 24,393 1999–2000 22,105 23,719 2000–01 23,170 24,440 2001–02 23,838 24,517 2002–03 24,382 24,382 2003–04 25,872 25,194 2004–05 26,590 25,240 2005–06 27,496 25,463 The MOD's cash outturn in 1997–98, as set out in The Government's Expenditure Plans for the MOD 2002–03 to 2003–04, was £20,748 million at outturn prices and £23,292 million at 2002–03 prices.
Both documents are available on the MOD's website: www.mod.uk
From 1997–98 to 2000–01 the Department was controlled in cash. Meaningful year-on-year comparison is not possible with the 2001–02 outturn in the light of the transition from cash to Stage 1 Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) in that year. Near cash figures after the transition to Stage 2 RAB, from 2003–04 to 2005–06, are intended to allow comparison with the Stage 1 RAB figures in 2001–02 and 2002–03.