§ 48. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Minister of Defence what is now the cost per head of the population of expenditure on the Defence Services and of armaments.
§ The Minister of Defence (Mr. A. V. Alexander)The present annual cost of defence per head of population in the United Kingdom is about £15.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesIs the Minister aware of the statement, reported in "The Times," of to-day, made by the Prime Minister of New Zealand that £15 per head of the population is now spent on the defence of this country, compared with £7 in New Zealand, and does he realise that this amounts to a burden of 30s. a week on a working-class family?
§ Mr. AlexanderIt is a very heavy burden to bear for defence, but there 1262 would be other burdens placed upon the nation subsequently if we did not bear our proper share.