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1 Sep 2008 : Column 1453W—continued


These reimbursable expenses cover costs associated with travel, parking, accommodation, subsistence and the incidental expenses allowance claimed while on duty in UK and abroad.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by press officers in his Department and its agencies in each of the last three financial years. [221181]

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Where authorised, reimbursable expenses are provided in line with MOD Guidance and wider Government regulations.

Departmental Postal Services

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services in the last 12 months. [221479]

Derek Twigg: The MOD dispatches relatively little mail externally. Official mail within the Department is primarily distributed by the internal Defence Mail Service, provided by the British Forces Post Office, while mail for personnel serving overseas is usually distributed by RAF air transport. The cost of the mail service is
1 Sep 2008 : Column 1454W
monitored daily by the BFPO budget manager and evaluation meetings are held monthly with the Commander Defence Postal Services.

Most external mail is sent through the Royal Mail Group, or, exceptionally through other approved carriers, the cost of which is met and monitored by individual budget holders. These details are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Press

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months. [215212]

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has a central enabling contract with a journal supplier which all staff are encouraged to use to purchase discounted subscriptions to non-recreational periodicals in order to achieve best value for money. The contract is open to all MOD units, civilian and military, worldwide. It is primarily used for the purchase of medical, technical and academic journals in support of military health care, the equipment programme and education and training. Expenditure under the contract for the period June 2006 to May 2008 is shown in the following table:

Month Expenditure (£)

2006

June

16,900

July

13,167

August

7,130

September

36,572

October

(1)233,66

November

64,248

December

(1)329,737

2007

January

61,683

February

32,829

March

28,053

April

59,569

May

62,797

June

17,288

July

(1)270,089

August

10,861

September

38,019

October

(1)180,107

November

25,091

December

33,859

2008

January

12,847

February

(1)371,188

March

76,095

April

7,059

May

74,847

(1) Units may choose to pay by monthly or annual payment. Annual payments account for periodic cost variations.

As use of the contract is not compulsory, some units may be using alternative suppliers. Information on expenditure under such local arrangements is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


1 Sep 2008 : Column 1455W

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department’s policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices. [220437]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: It is the Department’s policy to meet its payment obligations promptly within agreed contract terms and acquisition teams are bound under HM Treasury rules to choose or negotiate payment terms that represent good value.

The Department is making greater use of e-tools to secure better deals and speed up the payment process in pursuit of better value for money.

Departmental Property

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which organisations have received (a) free and (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case. [221585]

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down his Department’s main estimate in (a) near cash and (b) non-cash terms on the same basis as in his answers to the hon. Member for Aldershot on 4 March 2008, Official Report, column 2346W and 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2284W. [218334]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Gerald Howarth:


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Breakdown of Main Estimates
TLB Estimate type £000

RfR1

Commander-in-Chief Fleet

DEL near cash

2,199,338

DEL non cash

2,555

Grants

10,462

Operating A-in-A

-41,157

Total DEL

2,171,198

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget grants

2,253

Non Budget non cash

Total non Budget

2,253

CDEL

25,033

CDEL non operating A-in-A

AME non operating A-in-A

Total capital

25,033

Total Commander-in-Chief Fleet

2,198,484

Commander-in-Chief Land

DEL near cash

6,479,727

DEL non cash

31,532

Grants

59,658

Operating A-in-A

-107,762

Total DEL

6,463,155

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget grants

15,138

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

15,138

CDEL

260,985

CDEL non Operating A-in-A

AME non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

260,985

Total Commander-in-Chief Land

6,739,278

Commander in Chief Air Command

DEL near cash

2,888,118

DEL non cash

10,918

Grants

3,099

Operating A-in-A

-168,113

Total DEL

2,734,022

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget grants

7,189

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

7,189

CDEL

111,675

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

111,675

Total Commander-In-Chief Air Command

2,852,886

Chief of Joint Operations

DEL near cash

433,968

DEL non cash

28,915

Grants

0

Operating A-in-A

-25,489

Total DEL

437,394

AME near cash

AME non cash

0

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

0

CDEL

68,258

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

68,258

Total Chief of Joint Operations

505,652

Central

DEL near cash

1,727,297

DEL non cash

206,095

Grants

168,562

Operating A-in-A

-335,848

Total DEL

1,766,106

AME near cash

AME Grants

AME non cash

-12

AME A in A

Total AME

-12

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget grants

750

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

750

CDEL

87,088

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

-12,115

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

74,973

Total Central

1,841,817

Defence Equipment and Support

DEL near cash

5,678,284

DEL non cash

9,179,048

Grants

1,051

Operating A-in-A

-192,471

Total DEL

14,665,912

AME near cash

AME non cash

-84,762

AME A-in-A

Total AME

-84,762

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget A-in-A

-4

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

-4

CDEL

7,310,755

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

0

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

7,310,755

Total Defence Equipment and Support

21,891,901

Science, Innovation Technology

DEL near cash

622,507

DEL non cash

-5,284

Grants

4,204

Operating A-in-A

0

Total DEL

621,427

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

0

CDEL

0

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

0

Total Science, Innovation, Technology

621,427

Defence Estates

DEL near cash

1,209,571

DEL non cash

1,486,735

Grants

0

Operating A-in-A

-371,944

Total DEL

2,324,362

AME near cash

0

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

3,026

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

3,026

CDEL

221,366

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

-203,000

Capital Non Budget

2,019

AME Non Operating A-in-A

0

Total Capital

20,385

Defence Estates Total

2,347,773

Administration costs

DEL near cash

2,294,141

DEL non cash

Grants

Operating A-in-A

Total DEL

2,294,141

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget near cash grants

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

0

CDEL

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

0

Total Administration costs

2,294,141

Total RfR1

DEL near cash

23,532,951

DEL non cash

10,940,514

Grants

247,036

Operating A-in-A

-1,242,784

Total DEL

33,477,717

AME near cash

0

AME Grants

0

AME non cash

-84,774

AME receipts

0

Total AME

-84,774

Non Budget near cash

3,026

Non Budget Grants

25,330

Non Budget non cash

0

receipt

-4

Total Non Budget

28,352

COEL

8,085,160

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

-215,115

AME Non Operating A-in-A

0

Non Budget Capital

2,019

Total Capital

7,872,064

Total RfR1

41,293,359

RfR2

Operations and Peace-Keeping

DEL near cash

89,566

DEL non cash

Grants

Operating A-in-A

Total DEL

89,566

AME near cash

AME non cash

Total AME

0

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

0

CDEL

0

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

0

Total Operations and Peace-Keeping

89,566

RfR3

War Pensions and Allowances

Admin budget

DEL near cash

DEL non cash

Grants

Operating A-in-A

Total DEL

0

AME near cash

Grants

1,015,602

AME non cash

-512

Total AME

1,015,090

Non Budget near cash

Non Budget non cash

Total Non Budget

0

CDEL

CDEL Non Operating A-in-A

AME Non Operating A-in-A

Total Capital

0

Total War Pensions and Allowances

1,015,090

MOD Total

42,398,015


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