§ 2. Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was total expenditure on defence by the United Kingdom in the last complete financial year expressed as a percentage of the comparable figures for 1971–72 and 1972–73, respectively, in constant price terms.
§ The Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Frederick Mulley)The figures are 97.1 per cent. and 99.8 per cent., respectively.
§ Mr. ClemitsonI have two simple questions. First, how can the Opposition continue to criticise the Government about defence expenditure when we are apparently spending more or less the same on defence as they did when they were in office? Secondly, why on earth are we not spending a great deal less?
§ Mr. MulleyThe answer to my hon. Friend's second question is that we are spending the amount necessary to sustain our contribution to the North Atlantic Alliance, which is an essential part of the defence of this country. As for the reason why there is clamour by the Opposition for cuts in public expenditure generally and increases in expenditure on defence, that is a question for them, not me, to answer.
§ Sir John HallWhat amount is being spent on civil defence How does it compare with the amount being spent by Soviet Russia and other Warsaw Pact countries?
§ Mr. MulleyWithout notice, I cannot give figures about civil defence, because the matter does not fall within my departmental responsibilities.
§ Mr. Frank AllaunDoes not my right hon. Friend's original reply make nonsense of the war hawks' propaganda that we have slashed our arms spending? Will my right hon. Friend note and act on the recent NATO statistic showing that in 1976 Britain increased its proportion of gross domestic product spent on defence from 5 per cent. to 5.1 per cent., whereas the other NATO countries reduced theirs from 3.8 per cent. to 3.6 per cent., on average?
§ Mr. MulleyWe have had discussions before about these percentages. One of our problems is that our GDP has not grown as fast as we would have liked over the past decade. But I note what my hon. Friend says.
§ Mr. Ian GilmourWhy did the Secretary of State not give a straight answer to the first question from the hon. Member for Luton, East (Mr. Clemitson)? He gave an answer, by implication, in his speech at Munich, when he said that the expense of equipment had increased considerably over the last few years.
§ Mr. MulleyI issued a rather long paper at Munich, and I am sure that I would be out of order if I tried to read it to the House this afternoon. I take the right hon. Member's point. I am in the position in which he was placed in 1973. When general reductions are made in public expenditure, defence must make a contribution.