This article is more than 1 year old

Not in the Budget: Spooks beg UK.gov for £111m brown envelope

And your £2bn moneybag isn't big enough already, GCHQ/MI5/MI6?

Blighty's intelligence agencies have held out the begging bowl to Parliament for a handout of £111m before April.

In a written ministerial statement today Cabinet Office minister and Paymaster General Francis Maude sought Parliamentary approval for the additional funds.

He said the money reflects a number of "in-year budgetary changes," including "urgent expenditure" estimated at £66.8m.

Maude said a total net cash requirement of £111.4m has been requested as part of the "supplementary estimates" for the collective budget of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ in 2014-15.

"As the security and intelligence agencies are non-ministerial departments, I am making this statement on behalf of their Accounting Officer, to ensure that Parliament is informed of this advance from the Contingencies Fund," he said.

Funding for MI5, GCHQ and MI6 is paid from the Single Intelligence Account (SIA).

The SIA said it will provide £1.9bn in funding for 2014-15, with a real terms increase to £2bn in 2015-16.

This advance will be repaid upon Royal Assent of the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Bill, said Maude. ®

More about

TIP US OFF

Send us news


Other stories you might like