HC Deb 26 May 2004 vol 421 cc1691-3W
Mr. Soames

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the(a) operating cost statement, (b) statement of recognised gains and losses, (c) balance sheet, (d) cash flow statement and (e) fixed assets register for financial year 1997–98 for the (i) Defence Dental Agency, (ii) Defence Estate Organisation, (iii) Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, (iv) Defence Vetting Agency and (v) RAF Logistic Support Services; [172119]

(2) if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) operating cost statement, (b) statement of recognised gains and losses, (c) balance sheet, (d) cash flow statement and (e) fixed assets register for (i) RAF Logistic Support Services for financial year 1999–2000 and (ii) the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency for the period April to October 2000. [172120]

Mr. Ingram

No accounts were published in financial year 1997–98 by the Defence Estate Organisation, the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, the Defence Vetting Agency and RAF Logistic Support Services. No accounts were published in financial year 1999–2000 by RAF Logistic Support Services as the organisation ceased to be an agency on 31 March 2000. For that year, no accounts direction was given by HM Treasury and accordingly the agency did not produce a set of annual report and accounts. In respect of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency no accounts were produced for the period April to October 2000 or for the year 2000–01 as the organisation ceased to be an agency on 1 October 2000. An operating cost statement, statement of recognised gains and losses, balance sheet and cash flow statement are thus not available.

For the Defence Dental Agency, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 961W.

Fixed Asset Registers could be published only at disproportionate cost in view of the substantial volume of MOD assets.

Mr. Soames

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the(a) resource provision and (b) outturn for his Department's executive agencies was for financial years (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01, (iii) 2001–02 and (iv) 2002–03. [172121]

Mr. Ingram

For financial years 1999–2000 to 2001–02, I refer the hon. Member to the letter I sent to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) (reference: D/Min(AF)A1 4656/04C of 30 March 2004) copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This provides the "resource outturn" (net operating cost after interest in the Operating Cost Statement) for all agencies which are also Management Groupings or Top Level Budgets. Agency net operating costs may otherwise be found in the Operating Cost Statement of their Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Technical differences in the way in which agency and consolidated departmental accounts must be prepared may result in a variance between the net operating costs figure shown in agency accounts and that shown in the equivalent consolidated departmental breakdown.

I will write to the hon. Member to provide the corresponding information for financial year 2002–03 and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

I am unable to provide resource provision below Top Level Budget. The setting of budgets below this level is for internal management control purposes only as lower-level budgets may be redistributed over the financial year to take account of in-year cost pressures or programme changes.