§ 7. Mr. Goodhewasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now publish the latest figure of the percentage of the gross national product represented by this year's Defence Estimates.
§ Mr. HealeyI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 1st May, which was, I think, about 5¾ per cent.—[Vol. 782, c. 266–7.]
§ Mr. GoodhewDoes not this figure omit entirely the American aircraft bought on the never-never to be paid for later under a Conservative Government? Does it not also omit the back-dated increase of pay for the forces which will no doubt come in due course? How can the right hon. Gentleman think that this is an honest figure to give to the House and the country?
§ Mr. HealeyIf the hon. Gentleman read HANSARD regularly, he would find 427 that the other figures were also given in the Answer made to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. Frank AllaunIs it not a fact that, if we cut our proportion to that for the rest of Western Europe—that is, 4 per cent.—this would mean £650 million a year to be spent on other and better things?
§ Mr. HealeyThe European average is 5 per cent. We intend to get down to that in three or four years' time.
§ Mr. RipponDoes the Secretary of State agree from what he has just said that 5¾ per cent. is not the honest figure and that the honest figure is that which was given, as he says, in the Answer he has mentioned—a figure which he has not quoted?
§ Mr. HealeyI quote it now. It is about 6 per cent. That was the figure given in the earlier Answer. However, this is not money spent by the Government or raised by the taxpayer. I will deal in more detail with this point when I reply to Question No. 12.