§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make arrangements to have that proportion of the United Kingdom's financial contribution to NATO projects of a non-defence type to be met by money voted other than on a defence vote;
(2) what was the total British financial contribution to NATO in the latest available year; and what percentage of that was allocated to purely non-defence activities;
(3) to what extent NATO incurs non-defence expenditure; and what percentage of its total budget this year is expected to be spent on non-defence activities.
254Wapplications, and resignations of UDR personnel in 1975–76 are as follows:
§ Mr. MasonThe North Atlantic Treaty consists of a framework for broadly based co-operation between the signatory countries. It is not solely a military alliance designed to prevent aggression or to repel it, should it occur. It also permits continuous co-operation and consulation in political, economic and other non-military fields.
There are three common funds in NATO, to which 14 or 15 nations of the Alliance contribute. These are:
- (a) The civil budget, funded by all members and to which the United Kingdom contributes 19.5 per cent. This finances those aspects of NATO which further the general political aims of the Alliance. It covers the running expenses of the headquarters in Brussels, including the cost of civilian international staff and approved programmes such as information and cultural relations, civil emergency planning, defence support and defence and scientific research. The United Kingdom share is met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Education and Science, and totalled some £3.3 million in 1975–76.
- (b) The military budget, to which the United Kingdom contributes 18.22 per cent. of expenditure met by 15 nations, and 21.98 per cent. of expenditure shared by 14 nations. The United Kingdom contribution, which in 1975–76 totalled some £14 million, is met from Defence Votes and covers primarily the operation and maintenance of the various NATO military headquarters.
- (c) NATO infrastructure. This covers the cost of NATO's operational facilities, mainly fixed installations, such as war headquarters, airfields and communication installations. These
255 support NATO's military forces in the execution of the Alliance's deterrent strategy. The United Kingdom's contribution in 1975–76 was some £17 million, met from Defence votes. The United Kingdom's share of total expenditure was 10.42 per cent. for 15-nation projects and 12 per cent. for the 14-nation programme. The Ministry of Defence's financial contribution to NATO's common funds is limited to the military budget and to infrastructure, and is not used to finance NATO's non-military activities.
§ Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent of British participation in the NATO scientists' conference on environment matters now being held in Iceland; and what will be the total cost of this participation to the British taxpayer.