The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
602.
In June 2005,
PJHQ advised Dr John Reid, the Defence Secretary,
that
discussions
were under way with the Treasury for an additional £38m to fund
a
successor
programme to Project OSIRIS.373
The
Treasury had taken “a close interest”
in the
bid and was keen to ensure that there was “no duplication” with
funding allocated
to the FCO
and DFID.
603.
Mr Des
Browne, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, wrote to Dr Reid
on
23 August,
approving £16m from the Reserve for the package of vehicles,
infrastructure
and
communications equipment that had been presented by MOD
officials.374
Mr Browne
continued:
“Looking
ahead, I hope that it will be possible for you to find other means
of funding
the
remaining elements [of the £38m programme] – either by negotiating
with
Baghdad,
for a larger share of what is available … or by encouraging our
allies –
most of
whom are spending far less than we are in maintaining forces on the
ground
– to play a
bigger role.”
604.
Dr Reid
wrote to Mr Browne on 30 November, seeking a further
£19.6m
(for 734 Iraqi
Police Service vehicles and 11 ISF infrastructure
projects).375
Dr Reid
advised
that the MOD had secured funding from the US, Australia, Italy and
Japan,
reducing
the amount that the MOD needed to provide.
605.
Mr Browne
replied on 20 December, approving an additional £19.6m from
the
606.
Section 12.1
describes the equipment provided to the ISF under Project
OSIRIS.
607.
In June 2006,
Mr Blair asked Mr Des Browne, the Defence Secretary
from
May 2006,
to focus on the situation in Basra.377
608.
Mr Browne
sent Mr Blair an update on Basra, including details of the
additional
projects
needed to deliver a “better Basra”, on 4 July.378
Mr Browne
reported that
departments
had not yet found the £30.7m, “a relatively small sum given the
strategic
importance
of Basra”, required to fund the projects. Section 10.2 describes
the
development
of the Better Basra Plan.
373
Minute
Scholefieldt to PS/Secretary of State [MOD], 15 June 2005, ‘Funding
for a Further Programme
of Security
Sector Reform and a Civil Effects Fund for MND(SE)’. The full
request was for £58m, £20m of
which was
for a Civil Effects Fund.
374
Letter
Browne to Reid, 23 August 2005, ‘Iraq: Funding for Security Sector
Reform and for a Civil Effects
Fund for
MND(SE)’.
375
Letter Reid
to Browne, 30 November 2005, [untitled].
376
Letter
Browne to Reid, 20 December 2005, ‘Security Sector
Reform’.
377
Minute
Sheinwald to Banner, 8 June 2006, ‘Iraq and
Afghanistan’.
378
Letter
Browne to Blair, 4 July 2006, [untitled] attaching Paper,
[undated], ‘Annex A – Background on
Additional
Basra Work’.
544