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Ministry of Defence denies paying £22 for 65p bulb Ministry of Defence denies 'paying £22 for 65p bulb'
(40 minutes later)
The Ministry of Defence has denied that it paid an excessive amount of money for light bulbs. The Ministry of Defence has dismissed newspaper reports that it has been paying more than £20 for light bulbs that can be bought for 65p elsewhere.
It had been reported the MoD paid £22 each for light bulbs available for 65p, but a MoD spokesman said it was actually a "highly specialist" item. It insists the bulbs are highly specialised parts for a radar system.
He said: "It was a precision made lamp filament for the Watchman radar. The MoD purchases about five per year." A MoD spokesman said: "It was a precision-made lamp filament for the Watchman radar. The MoD purchases about five per year."
href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3445710/Ministry-of-Defence-pay-22-for-65p-lightbulb.html" >The Sun newspaper published an invoice it said it was shown by a soldier who works in the stores of a UK base. The Sun newspaper published an invoice it said it was shown by a soldier who works in the stores of a UK base.
Defence chiefs were also said to have paid £103 a time for screws, believed to be on sale online for £2.60.Defence chiefs were also said to have paid £103 a time for screws, believed to be on sale online for £2.60.
The soldier, who The Sun did not name, told the paper he could not ignore the "criminal" waste he saw every day. The soldier, who The Sun did not name, href="http://http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3445710/Ministry-of-Defence-pay-22-for-65p-lightbulb.html" >told the paper he could not ignore the "criminal" waste he saw every day.
He was quoted as saying: "You're talking about a fortune for these bulbs. If I order 100, that's over £2,000. But you can pick them up for 65p each, the exact same ones.He was quoted as saying: "You're talking about a fortune for these bulbs. If I order 100, that's over £2,000. But you can pick them up for 65p each, the exact same ones.
"There must be thousands of light bulbs across the MoD. If people paid attention to simple things like this, they could save a lot of money - and maybe jobs.""There must be thousands of light bulbs across the MoD. If people paid attention to simple things like this, they could save a lot of money - and maybe jobs."
'Common sense''Common sense'
In the paper, the soldier said specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price, but large savings could be made by buying in bulk.In the paper, the soldier said specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price, but large savings could be made by buying in bulk.
Reacting to the story earlier, Defence Secretary Liam Fox had described it as "inexcusable" and evidence of a waste of taxpayers' money by the previous Labour government.Reacting to the story earlier, Defence Secretary Liam Fox had described it as "inexcusable" and evidence of a waste of taxpayers' money by the previous Labour government.
Dr Fox told paper: "We are already tackling the procurement problems we inherited head-on. When money is tight and we need to protect the front line, waste is inexcusable. Dr Fox told the paper: "We are already tackling the procurement problems we inherited head-on. When money is tight and we need to protect the front line, waste is inexcusable.
"This is classic evidence of how Labour wasted taxpayers' money and shows a complete lack of common sense. No wonder the last government left the MoD with a budget deficit of £38bn.""This is classic evidence of how Labour wasted taxpayers' money and shows a complete lack of common sense. No wonder the last government left the MoD with a budget deficit of £38bn."


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