§ 30. Mr. MITCHESONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can furnish an estimate of the expenditure on the defence forces this year, excluding all pensions, on the basis of the pay and prices prevailing in 1913–14 and, for comparison, the corresponding expenditure in 1913–14?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe total net provision in the Estimates of the Defence Departments in the current year, excluding non-effective services, is £95,794,200. The actual net effective expenditure for the financial year ending 31st March, 1914, was £ 70,38,500. I am afraid that the calculation for which my hon. Friend asks in regard to pay and prices would involve an amount of time and labour out of all proportion to the value of the result.