Falkland Islands (Hansard, 22 May 1984)

§ 5. Mr. Yeo
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's expenditure can be attributed to the cost of defending the Falkland Islands.

§ Mr. Heseltine
Much of the running cost of the forces based on the Falkland Islands would be incurred wherever they were stationed. The extra cost attributable to the Falklands garrison, including capital works and equipment, will represent around 2.5 per cent. of the defence budget for 1984–85.

§ Mr. Yeo
Notwithstanding that, is there not a danger that our defence spending on the Falkland Islands will distort the defence budget, even to a slight extent, and impede our ability to achieve the much-needed objective of strengthening our non-nuclear defence capability in other parts of the world?

§ Mr. Heseltine
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, which enables me to repeat the fact that the cost of the Falklands budget has been added to the budget of the Ministry of Defence. Therefore, the distortion to which he referred will not take place.

§ Mr. Dalyell
What are we to think of a Government who, according to The Sunday Times, spend £3 million a day or more on 1,800 people in the Falkland Islands, yet have no money to help 1,800 men who will be declared redundant over the next two years, as will be announced this afternoon in the statement on British Leyland—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman should direct his question to matters relating to the Falkland Islands.

§ Mr. Dalyell
If half the money spent on the Falkland Islands had been given, for example, in overseas aid, allowing countries such as Nigeria to buy trucks and other commodities—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I call Mr. Tim Eggar.