§ 47. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Minister of Defence what he estimates to be the present cost per day in maintaining our forces in Malaya, Hong Kong and Aqaba, respectively.
§ Mr. AlexanderIt would not be in the public interest to give this information.
§ Mr. HughesWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that informative reply, may I ask him if he could give us some 1143 enlightenment on the aggregate cost as no argument about security could be related to that information? Is he aware that the "Observer" estimates that Malaya costs us £25,000 a day, and does he not think that the House of Commons should have some knowledge of how our money is being spent?
§ Mr. AlexanderIt is not our policy to give figures of the cost in any particular theatre at any time, because it gives information to others which we do not wish them to obtain, and in the public interest, I cannot add anything to my answer.