Military Expenditure Abroad

HC Deb 17 February 1948 vol 447 cc182-3W

67 and 68. Mr. Bing

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is proposed that military surpluses exported to the U.S.S.R. under Article III of the Trade Agreement of 27th December, 1947, shall be credited in the Balance of Payment Account in future White Papers on National Income against gross military expenditure abroad;

(2) whether the gross cost of military expenditure abroad for 1946 and 1947, respectively, from which the figures for net cost given in Command Paper, No. 7324, are derived; and whether he will consider the desirability of including the gross cost of military expenditure abroad in future Balance of Payments accounts.

Sir S. Cripps

The figures of gross expenditure used were £382 million and £211 million. Gross figures will be used in the forthcoming Economic Survey. The light rails to be sent to Russia from military surplus will therefore form part of the receipts side in the balance of payments.