Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Murrison and David Ruffley

Monday 26th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

12. What estimate he has made of the cost of UK military intervention in Libya.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Andrew Murrison)]

We currently estimate the net additional cost of Operation Ellamy at £199 million.

[Mr Ruffley]

I thank the Minister for that reply. After the first Gulf war, Her Majesty’s Government recovered £2 billion from Kuwait and other countries to help to cover the cost of our operations there. Is he able to tell us that the Secretary of State will be unyielding in his demands of the oil-rich Libyan Government to help to cover the £200 million cost underwritten by the British taxpayer for the Libyan intervention?

[Dr Murrison]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question; I know that he takes a deep interest in these matters. It is important to emphasise that Libya’s security is our security, and this was a mandated operation. We will not seek to recover costs from Libya; that would not be the correct course of action. I look forward to Libya rejoining the international community of nations and to the UK and Libya proceeding on that basis.