Navy Resources & Plans - Secretariat
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building, Level 3 Zone C, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HB
Telephone
(Switchboard)
020
7218
9000
e-mail
[MOD request email]
Mr D Redford
Your Reference:
Our Reference:
16-11-2009-152211-002
Date: 01 December 2009
Dear Mr Redford
I am writing to you in connection with your request for information dated 16
November 2009, which we have handled in accordance with Freedom of
Information Act guidelines.
Your request for information was:
How much money was spent on all aspects of the Royal Navy in each
year between 1967 and 1980?
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold the precise information that you
have requested. The budgetary structure of the MOD does not show
separately the costs of the three individual Armed Services (Royal Navy,
Army and Royal Air Force). This is because large parts of the Armed
Services operate as fully integrated joint organisations in which elements from
the Navy, Army and Air Force work closely together and share land, buildings
and facilities, and sometimes equipment. The MOD’s Permanent Joint
Headquarters, which commands most of our military operations, is one
example. Another is our Defence Equipment and Support organisation which
provides front line commands with equipment and logistic support.
However, we do have some information which may be of relevance to your
request; a copy is enclosed for your information. As you will see, data on
Defence spending has been recorded in different ways over the years so it is
not possible to make accurate direct comparisons. For 1967/68, 1968/69 and
1969/70 it has been possible to use various historical Naval records to
produce an illustrative figure of overall Royal Navy spending in each of these
years. Although it is not possible to break this figure down into greater detail,
it can, for example, be used as a guide to show the proportion of the overall
Defence budget that was spent on the Royal Navy during these years.
The figures for 1970/71 onwards have been drawn from the respective year’s
Statement on the Defence Estimates, Volume II Defence Statistics. All
government departments are required to submit such statements each year
for approval by Parliament in order to secure funding for the year ahead.
More information on this process is available on the HM Treasury website:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_estimates_index.htm . These figures
show the amounts that were spent on “sea equipment” in each of the years.
Please be aware though that this description relates to the environment in
which the equipment was used and does not necessarily relate to the
particular armed service which would have used the kit. For example, the
Navy will use helicopters during exercises and operations but this would be
counted under the “Air equipment” heading. The figures for “personnel costs”
and “other expenditure” relate to all three services together; figures for the
Navy alone are not available.
You may be interested to know that the latest edition of UK Defence Statistics
and many other sources of information about Defence can be accessed on
the Defence Analytical Services and Advice website www.dasa.mod.uk .
I hope that you find this information helpful. However, if you are not satisfied
with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of
your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal
resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for
an independent internal review by contacting the Head of Corporate
Information, 6th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-mail:
[email address]). Please note that any request for an internal review
must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to
reach informal resolution has come to an end.
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your
complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50
of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information
Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review
process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the
Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website,
http://www.ico.gov.uk.
Yours sincerely
Navy RP-Secretariat
Encl:
DASA Summary of Defence Spending 1967 – 1981
Summary of Defence Spending 1967 – 1981
£Millions
1967/68 1968/69 1969/70 1970/71 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1980/81
Total Defence Spend1
1,824 1,857 1,838
2,503
2,828
3,092
3,484 4,164
5,346
6,158
6,787
7,455
9,177
11,182
Navy Spend2 647
678
638
Expenditure on personnel
1,182
1,399
1,552
1,694 2,026
2,530
2,864
3,021
3,293
3,912
4,556
of the Armed Forces
598
756
851
902
1,063
1,305
1,465
1,519
1,639
2,099
2,460
of the retired Armed
Forces
128
140
157
186
200
255
316
361
432
459
503
of civilian staff
456
503
544
606
763
970
1,083
1,141
1,222
1,354
1,593
Expenditure on
equipment
836
952
1,023
1,153 1,302
1,792
2,138
2,565
2,984
3,640
4,885
Sea
..
..
227
306 315
440
590
672
878
1,110
1,513
Land
..
..
151
182 249
413
486
612
601
740
904
Air
..
..
385
489 595
752
844
1,010
1,214
1,427
2,059
Other
..
..
260
176 143
187
218
271
291
363
410
Other expenditure
485
477
517
637 836
1,024
1,156
1,201
1,178
1,625
1,741
Works, buildings and land
164
190
215
266
314
394
463
462
405
599
623
Miscellaneous stores and
services
321
287
302
371
522
630
693
739
773
1,026
1,118
1 All figures from 1970/71 to 1980/81 have been drawn from the respective year’s Statement on the Defence Estimates, Volume II Defence Statistics.
2 The Navy Spend figures for 1967/68, 1968/69 and 1969/70 have been produced from various historical Naval records and so should be regarded as an
illustrative rather than a definitive guide to Royal Navy spending during these years.
