House of Lords written question – answered on 28 October 2010.
Lord Ashcroft
Conservative
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost to the Exchequer of each of the overseas territories and what is the breakdown of those costs.
Lord Howell of Guildford
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (International Energy Policy)
The following government departments meet the costs of, and provide the majority of the assistance to, the Overseas Territories: the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The UK is responsible for 14 Overseas Territories. The following figures cover staff and administration costs in support of defence, safety and security, good governance, sustainable development and the environment. Where possible, the costs have been broken down by Territory.
| Department | Cost (£ million) 2009/10 |
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office | |
| Overseas Territories Directorate-Home and Overseas Costs | £6.2 million |
| Overseas Territories Programme Fund: Polar Regions | £0.9 million |
| Overseas Territories Programme Fund: Contribution to the British Indian Ocean Territory | £1.5 million |
| Overseas Territories Programme Fund: Restoration of Good Governance in Turks and Caicos Islands | £1.4 million |
| Overseas Territories Programme Fund: cross-territory programmes | £2.4 million |
| Gibraltar-Home Costs | £0.3 million |
| Gibraltar-Overseas Costs | £1.1 million |
| Department for International Development | |
| Administration costs home and overseas | £2.27 million |
| Programme Costs (Montserrat, Pitcairn, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha, Turks and Caicos Islands and cross-territory programmes) | £50 million |
| Ministry of Defence | |
| Gibraltar | £57 million |
| British Forces in Ascension and Falklands | £72 million |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | £0.5 million |
| Department for Transport | |
| Programme and running costs for aviation and maritime safety and air accident investigations | £3.1 million |
| Programme and running costs for aviation and maritime security compliance inspection activities. | £0.25 million |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | |
| Biodiversity Programme Costs | £0.25 million |
| Darwin Projects | £0.046 million |
| Total: £199.22 million |
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
