How much defence spends on ration packs each year revealed - the cost might surprise you

Ever wondered how much is spent each year on ration packs for the UK military? Well, the answer may just surprise you.

According to a defence minister, 10 months into the current financial year, a staggering £14.7m has already been spent on ration packs, with two months still to go.

In a written Parliamentary question, shadow Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard asked Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge what the cost for ration packs was to the public purse over the last five financial years.

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In his answer, Mr Cartlidge said the cost was £28m in 2018-2019, with a drop-off in 2019-2020 to £13.8m.

In 2020-2021, the figure fell to £6.3m due to the Covid pandemic, before rising again to £14.5m in 2021-2022.

Finally, in 2022-2023 the figure jumped to £17.6m, and, in 2023-2024, the UK has spent a total of £14.7m so far, with the year finishing at the end of March.