TNAG-1851-FCO40-2626-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 33

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3 May 1989]

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE

[Continued

the order of £60 million at current central London prices (excluding such premia as may have to be paid for British contractors working in Moscow). Consultants are at present praparing detailed estimates.

The only costs in the current year are for planning work and professional fees.

8. Could you describe the major new works on the Home Estate for which provision is made in subhead Cl (4)?

The provision in this subhead covers the following projects:

(a) Refurbishment of the Old Public Offices, the main FCO building in Whitehall.

Continuation of work in progress

7,025

(b) Installation of an automatic access control system at the Old Public Offices

(c) Installation of trunking and special wiring for FOLIOS project in Old Public Offices

and Old Admiralty Building

436

660

(d) Wilton Park/Wiston House Conference Centre. Upgrading of existing accommodation

and facilities and the provision of additional bedrooms

5

(e) Replacement of Central Transmitting Station Buildings at Creslow

1,395

(f) Replacement of workshops/office building at Dipomatic Service Central Receiving

Station, Hanslope Park-final phase

174

(g) Replacement of workshop building at Diplomatic Service Central Receiving Station,

Hanslope Park-design costs

156

(h) Ministerial Residences-security works

50

9,901

9. Can you explain how the costs of the UN Trasitional Assistance Group were assessed? What will be the cost of the despatch of the Landrovers and trucks announced on 7 April? Are further costs now likely because of recent incidents in Namibia? How large is the UK troop contribution?

During the latter half of 1988 when it became increasingly clear that the UN peacekeeping plan for Namibia ight soon be implemented, the UN Secretariat prepared initial estimates for the cost of the UN Transitional Assistance Group (UNTAG). These were based on the agreement reached in Security Council Resolution 435 of 1978 and on the costs of previous similar peacekeeping operations, eg, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). These estimates suggested that UNTAG operation would cost approximately $600 million.

As a result of the tripartite agreement between Angola, Cuba and South Africa on the South Western Africa peace plan, and in response to a request from the Security Council (SCR 629) the Secretary General recognised that circumstances had changed and agreed to review the scale of UNTAG. In his report of 24 January 1989 to the Security Council the Secretary General recommended that, while keeping the upper limit or 7,500 men, the initial deployment should be reduced to 4,500 men. The revised estimated cost was $406m for 12 months of operation. The UN's Advisory Committee on Administration and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) subsequently endorsed this proposal which was agreed by the Security Council in Resolution 632 on 16 February 1989.

According to the UN Peacekeeping Scale of Payment our contribution amounts of 6.0 per cent, as compared to our contribution to the UN Regular Budget which is 4.86 per cent. This is because Permanent Members pay slightly more in order that the poorest couturies pay reduced contributions. At the request of the Secretary General we paid the first instalment of 10 per cent of our contribution in late March. We paid the remainder on 3 April. Our total contribution amounted to £14.025 million. Although all contributions were due on 1 April, only 25 per cent have been received by the UN Secretariat to date.

The cost of the despatch of Landrovers and trucks announced on 7 April will in fact be nil. The US Air Force transported and vehicles. Moreover the UN will eventually reimburse HMG for the full replacement costs of all the vehicles we supplied.

It is difficult to say whether further costs are now likely due to recent events in Namibia. The UN Secretary General could ask the Security Council to increase the UNTAG force up to the original estimate of seven battalions. Were this to happen the UK contribution would increase by some $12 million. The UK troop contribution to UNTAG consists of one signals unit with a complement of 162 personnel. The Foreign Affairs Committee will be aware that two members of the contingent were tragically killed in a traffic accident earlier this month.