§ 26. Mr. Warbeyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the expenditure of the Atomic Energy Authority, the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Labour, and the Home Office for defence purposes is reimbursed by the defence and Service Departments; and what is the total amount of such expenditure which is not reimbursed.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe defence expenditure of the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Labour and the Home Office is not reimbursed by the Service Departments. Particulars of this expenditure are given on pages 17 and 18 of the Report on Defence presented to Parliament by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence in February (Cmnd. 952). The Estimates of the Atomic Energy Authority are published net of certain receipts not disclosed for security reasons.
§ Mr. WarbeyIs it not the case that even the net expenditure of the Atomic Energy Authority represents a great deal of expenditure on military account for research and development purposes in relation to plutonium and the construction of plutonium-producing factories, and so on? While some of this expenditure has to be disguised for security reasons, would not the hon. Gentleman agree that the real total of defence expenditure is about £1,700 million?
§ Sir E. BoyleI am not prepared to be drawn further on the question of the net expenditure of the Atomic Energy Authority, because it has long been accepted in all parts of the House that it is not desirable to add to the published information on this subject, but the hon. Member can see the figures in relation to the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Labour and the Home Office in the Defence White Paper. They come altogether to about £9. million.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhile there is no desire on this side, nor indeed in any part of the House, for detailed figures in respect of a certain class of defence expenditure, is there any reason why the general figure should be concealed? What is the use of pretending that we are spending only £1,500 million or £1,600 million on defence when we are, in fact, spending £1,800 million? Should not we know the facts?
§ Sir E. BoyleI do not want to hide anything unnecessarily from the House. All of us on this side recognise the responsible manner in which the right hon. Gentleman occupied the office of Minister of Defence, but it is not easy to decide exactly what should be categorised as defence expenditure and what should not. I am not prepared in an Answer in Parliament to go further with regard to the estimates of the Atomic Energy Authority.