I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 16 together.
There are no proposals to make the chief of staff the Accounting Officer for the Defence Vote. This matter was considered in 1993 when the Government decided that the secretary of the Department should continue to be the Accounting Officer for the Defence Vote and that greater financial authority should be delegated to the military authorities.
Substantial progress has been made in implementing the policy of financial delegation.In 1995, the military authorities will administer expenditure of approximately £55 million. This amounts to approximately half of discretionary spending under the Defence Vote. This process will continue.