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22 Oct 2009 : Column 1633W—continued

Browndown Training Facility

Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Browndown training facility at Gosport; and if he will make a statement. [294937]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: As part of ongoing efficiency work, and a departmental-wide exercise to deliver savings, the Department has conducted a review of its operations and identified a number of rationalisation measures.
22 Oct 2009 : Column 1634W
Browndown Camp has been included within this review. While no firm decision on the future of this facility has yet been taken, it is anticipated that parts of Browndown, in particular the dry training area, will continue to be used.

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what grants his Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years. [292661]

Mr. Kevan Jones: The total amounts made as grants in aid are as follows:

	£
2003-04	30,817,129
2004-05	31,897,153
2005-06	31,604,136
2006-07	30,335,751
2007-08	32,218,493

A number of organisations receive grants in aid from the MOD including Voluntary Cadet Groups (Naval Cadet Force, Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force), Museums, Forces Welfare organisations such as the Sailors, Soldiers, Air Forces and Families Association (SSAFA), Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), Help Information Voluntary Exchange (HIVE) and sports bodies.

Smaller charitable grants are made by each of the single services to organisations with which they are closely affiliated. The amounts involved are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Colombia: Military Aid

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department (a) provides and (b) sponsors (i) advisory visits and (ii) information exchanges on military operations and tactics in urban theatres to Colombia; when the last such visit or exchange took place; and if he will make a statement. [295111]

Bill Rammell: Advisory visits and information exchanges between the UK and Colombia on military operations and tactics in urban theatres no longer take place. Historic records of visits and exchanges are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent (a) in England, (b) in Wales, (c) in Northern Ireland and (d) overseas on (i) equipment, (ii) non-equipment expenditure, (iii) service personnel costs and (iv) civil personnel costs in each year since 1997. [293427]

Mr. Kevan Jones: Estimated direct MOD expenditure for the sub-UK areas and categories requested for the years where data are available are provided in the following tables.

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22 Oct 2009 : Column 1636W

England
£ million at current prices (VAT exclusive)
	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Total	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	19,780	21,020	21,100	22,910	23,450	23,320
Of which:
Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	8,230	8,380	8,350	9,350	9,620	9,910
Non Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	4,190	4,830	4,900	5,320	5,610	5,280
Service personnel costs	n/a	2,940	2,980	5,130	5,460	6,070	5,970	6,190	6,270	6,220
Civilian personnel cost	1,760	1,830	1,780	1,780	1,900	1,740	1,880	2,050	1,950	1,910

Wales
£ million at current prices (VAT exclusive)
	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Total	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	340	430	370	380	400	390
Of which:
Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	100	130	110	100	120	130
Non Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	90	140	100	120	100	80
Service personnel costs	n/a	70	60	100	110	120	120	120	140	140
Civilian personnel cost	40	40	40	30	40	40	40	40	40	40

Northern Ireland
£ million at current prices (VAT exclusive)
	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Total	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	540	550	500	550	590	650
Of which:
Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	120	90	60	70	60	120
Non Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	70	90	70	110	140	140
Service personnel costs	n/a	180	170	250	270	300	290	280	300	300
Civilian personnel cost	70	70	70	70	80	70	80	90	90	90

Overseas
£ million at current prices (VAT exclusive)
	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Total	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	(1)-	2,870	3,260	3,480	3,760	3,990	4,440
Of which:
Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1,260	1,470	1,710	1,880	2,170	2,630
Non Equipment expenditure	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	150	180	140	160	160	160
Service personnel costs	n/a	n/a	n/a	1,010	1,080	1,190	1,180	1,230	1,150	1,140
Civilian personnel cost	230	240	230	330	380	420	450	490	510	510
n/a = Denotes that data were not available for all the sub UK areas for these years. (1) Denotes not applicable. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. 2. Indirect expenditure, such as subcontracted work, is not reflected in these figures. 3. Personnel costs exclude contributions made by MOD to the Armed Forces Pensions Scheme and War Pensions Scheme. 4. Reliable data for equipment and non equipment expenditure are not available for all the sub UK areas for the years prior to 2002-03.

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