Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost of the recent air strikes carried out by the RAF in response to the chemical attack on Douma.

The costs of operational flying sorties are calculated on a net additional cost basis, i.e. they are based on those costs, over and above existing funding, that the Department would not have incurred but for the activity. As the aircraft involved were already deployed on operations, additional operating costs are not expected from the activity. No net additional costs for the weapons consumed will materialise unless the Department assesses that additional weapons must be procured to meet current planning assumptions.