MoD annual IT spending rises to almost £1.4bn

The Ministry of Defence has announced its highest ever annual ICT spend

The MoD has increased its IT spending despite widespread budget cuts elsewhere

At a time of increasing government financial austerity, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that it spent £240m more on ICT in 2009 than in 2008.

In a parliamentary written answer, Defence minister Andrew Robathan explained that the costs include both operational and non-operational IT, satellite and telecommunications.

The Ministry published several years of ICT spending, revealing that from £645m in 1997-98 the figure rose towards the end of the 1990s but fell in the early 2000s, with only £527m spent in 2001-02. The 2008-09 figure was the highest recorded.

"The figures do not include expenditure by our trading funds as they lie outside the departmental accounting boundary. Included in expenditure are IT services, telephone line and equipment rental and minor equipment," Robathan said.