HC Deb 27 January 1983 vol 35 cc1037-8
1. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total so far of advances from the Contingencies Fund in respect of expenditure by Departments related to the Falklands war and subsequent costs.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Leon Brittan)

As I told the hon. Member on 23 December, £12 million. The amounts charged to the Contingency Reserve are also set out in my answer of 23 December to the hon. Gentleman.

Mr. Dalyell

That is £12 million compared with the £15 million that would be needed to solve the water workers' claim. How does it compare with the £37 million which is the total expenditure of the British Council and the £38 million which is our total aid to India? How does the expenditure on the Falklands compare with the £500 million that is needed urgently for rail investment? Should we not get these matters into prospective?

Mr. Brittan

The hon. Gentleman knows that the figures to which he has referred for other items of expenditure have nothing to do with his question, which is a limited one about advances from the Contingencies Fund. As he knows, that is a special form of financing, which is required to provide money in advance of parliamentary approval for a portion of the expenditure on the Falkland Islands.

Mr. Stokes

What is the total amount of public expenditure that has been incurred in answering all the questions that have been asked by the hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) for weeks and weeks on this subject?

Mr. Brittan

I fear that that is a level of expenditure which is so complex in its composition as to require a certain amount of research to discover.