§ Sir Frederic Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what percentage of gross national product is spent on defence and armaments by each nation of NATO and by each nation of the Warsaw Pact, respectively;
(2) what is the per capita expenditure on defence and armaments by each nation of NATO, and by each nation of the Warsaw Pact, respectively.
§ Mr. MasonA precise comparison of NATO and Warsaw Pact expenditure is complicated by the different economic and pricing systems of the two alliances, the covert nature of Warsaw Pact policy, and the lack of realistic exchange rates for the Pact countries. The NATO figures for 1975, and the available figures for the Warsaw Pact are:
Defence expenditure per capita in U.S. $ Defence expenditure as a percentage of GNP NATO Belgium 204 3.3 Canada 135 2.4 Denmark 183 2.9 France 255 4.6 Germany 273 4.1 (5 with Berlin Aid) Greece 163 6.9 Italy 84 2.8 Luxembourg 63 1.0 Netherlands 220 3.9 Norway 228 3.6 Portugal 120 7.5 Turkey (1974 figure) 28 4.1 (1974 figure) United Kingdom 214 5.7 United States of America 416 6.7 Warsaw Pact Bulgaria 190 3.0 Czechoslovakia 190 5.0 East Germany 200 6.0 Hungary 120 30 Poland 130 4.0 Romania 100 2.0 U.S.S.R.* 420 Over 10 * The estimate of defence expenditure by U.S.S.R. is currently under review.