Examination of Witness (Questions 100-102)
RT HON
GEOFFREY HOON
14 MAY 2003
Q100 Mr Roy: I am thinking not only
of the costs that you have already incurred, but after the lessons
learned from Iraq presumably the MoD will then have more need
for different types of long-term capability. Do you think you
will then be able to bid for that extra money, not for the money
that you have spent but the money that the lessons are saying
you need to invest?
Mr Hoon: My assumption would be
that we will be able to draw down from the money that is available
the costs of current operations and continuing operations. There
will then be a lessons learned process, as there has been in all
previous conflicts, which may well identify further equipment,
reorganisation, training, perhaps a range of potential extra costs
that we will have to address. My assumption will be that we will
do that within the normal arrangements that exist for the funding
of government departments.
Q101 Mr Roy: Finally, maybe a bit
of conflict prevention would have helped, it may even have stopped
the need for the war. Do you think any department, such as DFID
or the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, would be able to tap in
to what you do not need of the £3 billion?
Mr Hoon: Can I understand this
clearly? You are suggesting that money allocated to defence should
be spent on other government departments. We do have a joint budget
for conflict prevention and the Ministry of Defence does subscribe
to that budget, as do the other departments and I am sure that
will go on.
Mr Roy: Thank you very much.
Q102 Rachel Squire: Can I draw the
Committee meeting to a close there. Can I thank the Secretary
of State very much for this evidence session. There were a number
of areas which due to time constraints we were unable to touch
on but which we will certainly be following up in writing to you
as well as taking evidence in further sessions. I think the areas
that we did manage to touch on are ones that we will continue
to pursue either through evidence sessions or in writing. Can
I once again thank you very much indeed for your time this afternoon.
Mr Hoon: Could I in turn thank
the Committee, thank you very much.
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