§ Mr. KeetchTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on chartering transport aircraft in each month since October 2001; and if he will make a statement. [116143]
§ Mr. IngramThe amounts in cash terms actually paid against submitted invoices for the period October 2001 to March 2003, are as follows:
£ million October 2001 4.505 November 2001 5.534 December 2001 2.506 January 2002 1.287 February 2002 3.578 March 2002 9.190 April 2002 5.025 May 2002 6.755 June 2002 3.212 July 2002 4.427 August 2002 3.913 September 2002 4.360 October 2002 3.281 November 2002 1.801 December 2002 4.217 January 2003 0.831 February 2003 4.675 March 2003 15.688 Note:
These figures are provisional and subject to final audit.
199WThe Ministry of Defence does not necessarily pay the charter fees in the same month as the activity takes place and a direct correlation cannot therefore be drawn month by month between aircraft chartered and costs paid. Neither is there necessarily a particular significance between the fluctuating amounts committed or paid each month.
Commercial aircraft are chartered by the MOD when required to supplement the strategic aircraft resources of the RAF, particularly when the timescale and size of arising operations overseas necessitate the rapid deployment of equipment in support of United Kingdom expeditionary Forces.