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Treasury

Answer

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's most recent estimate is of the cost of the British occupation of Iraq in each month since the start of the conflict, broken down by (a) military and (b) reconstruction costs. [197247] Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much of the £3.8 billion in special reserve to cover the cost of operations in Iraq has been spent to date; when he expects it to be fully expended; what plans he has to increase the sum; for what period he plans to allocate further funds; whether it will be maintained and accounted for under budget heads which will enable the extra costs incurred to be clearly discernible; and if he will make a statement; [197618] (2) what the (a) total cost to date and (b) cost in each year since the start of the war to the Exchequer has been of the war and subsequent activity in Iraq, separately identifying costs which would have been expended on other purposes but have been redirected to purposes in connection with Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [197620] Mr. Boateng: In Budget 2003 the Chancellor set aside £3 billion as a Special Reserve to cover the cost of operations in Iraq. £1 billion was drawn down by the Ministry of Defence in the Spring Supplementary Estimate for 2002-03. The remaining £2 billion of this Special Reserve was carried forward to 2003-04. The Ministry of Defence drew down £1,539 million in the 2003-04 Winter and Spring Supplementary Estimates. In the PBR 2003 the Chancellor announced a further £500 million for the Special Reserve in the financial year 2003-04 and a further £300 million for 2004-05 as a prudent allowance to cover Iraq and our continuing international commitment to the war on terrorism. At the Madrid Donors' Conference in October 2003, the Government announced a total UK pledge of £544 million towards the reconstruction effort in Iraq up to March 2006.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c1504-5W;426 c1508-9W; 197247

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Costs Expenditure Iraq Peacekeeping operations Reconstruction Iraq conflict

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk