To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much in near cash terms was paid out in severance payments in each financial year since 2002-03. (176280)

The amounts paid out in near cash terms for redundancy and severance payments in each financial year from 2002-03 are set out in the following table:

Amounts paid are in respect of payments directly charged to the operating cost statement and the cash utilisation of provisions, for both military and civilian personnel.