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Defence: Procurement

Volume 494: debated on Thursday 25 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the procurement of (a) aircraft carriers, (b) Joint Strike Fighter, (c) the Trident replacement programme, (d) Type 45 destroyers, (e) the Future Rapid Effects System, (f) Astute Class submarines and (g) Typhoons in the next 12 months. (280829)

The current estimated expenditure on the procurement of the programmes listed for the next 12 months up to the end of financial year 2009-10 is provided in the following table:

£ million

Programme

Direct Resource DEL and Capital DEL

Indirect Resource DEL

Total

Aircraft Carriers

419

29

448

Joint Strike Fighter

142

50

192

Trident Replacement Programme

390

1

391

Type 45 Destroyers

443

114

557

Future Rapid Effect System

45

0

45

Astute Class Submarine

561

80

641

Typhoons

903

92

995

Note: Indirect Resource DEL includes a notional Cost of Capital Charge and Depreciation.

The total estimated expenditure includes equipment procurement costs only and excludes any related equipment support or overhead expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on defence procurement in each of the armed services in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much of that expenditure was incurred in Scotland in each service. (281651)

The Defence budget is spent as efficiently as possible to deliver value for money in producing required military capability, but is not allocated on a regional basis or by individual service. For example, military equipment is provided for the armed forces by the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, which receives the top level requirements under the guidance of the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Capability). These are determined on a capability basis.

Estimates for direct MOD expenditure on equipment and non-equipment, and civilian and service personnel in Scotland are provided in the following table. Expenditure has been expressed as a percentage of the MOD’s total worldwide actual cash expenditure. It is not possible to give a final figure for expenditure for Scotland as our contractors may place subcontracts with organisations outside Scotland. Moreover, companies in Scotland may receive defence subcontracts from firms elsewhere in the UK.

Scotland 2006-07

£ million at current prices (VAT exclusive)

Total

1,620

Of which:

Service personnel costs

590

Civilian personnel cost

190

Equipment expenditure

520

Non-equipment expenditure

320

Total as percentage of net cash requirement

5.2

Total as percentage of near cash

5.3

Note:

Figures rounded to nearest £10 million

The MOD presents estimates of annual procurement of goods and service in the UK broken out by industry sector and estimates of aggregate MOD equipment expenditure annually in “The UK Defence Statistics”, which can be found at the following link:

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/UKDS2008/ukds.html

The most recent data cover 2002-03 to 2006-07 and the data for 2008-09 will be published on 27 September 2009. Given that there is no regional consideration to the defence budget, we will no longer produce a regional breakdown of direct defence employment and associated expenditure after then.

There is a strong manufacturing base in Scotland as a result of sustained investment by the UK Government. The Scottish Affairs Select Committee report into Employment and Skills for the Defence Industry in Scotland, published in June 2008, said that “the defence industry is vital to Scotland”. Defence and aerospace industries generate nearly £2.31 billion in sales and together with the MOD support almost 50,000 jobs and a record number of apprentices.