§ 91. Mr. Russell Kerrasked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated overall cost in dollars of the import into the United Kingdom of 25 Boeing 727 aircraft, including spares, over a 10-year period at current prices; what duty would be payable in the event of their importation by British European Airways being sanctioned by him; and whether he will make a statement on the effect of such an importation on the future of the British aircraft industry and on the United Kingdom balance of payments.
§ Mr. JayAbout $240 million but the exact figure would depend on the contract terms. Duty, if paid at the current rate, would amount to £12 million. Such a transaction would result in an average debit of about £8 million a year to the United Kingdom balance of payments over the 10-year period. The loss of such182W an important order would naturally be a severe setback to the British aircraft industry.