§ Mr. Merchantasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the sterling/dollar exchange rate on which Trident programme costs were calculated in each annual Defence White Paper since Trident's first inclusion.
§ Mr. ButlerThe exchange rates were as follows:
Year Dollar/ sterling exchange rate £1 = 1981 $2.36 1982 $1.78 1983 $1.73 1984 $1.53
§ Mr. Merchantasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the latest estimate for the total cost of the Trident programme; and on what dollar/sterling exchange rate that estimate is based.
§ Mr. ButlerI refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to the Members for Ogmore (Mr. Powell), for Bootle (Mr. Roberts) and for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) on 26 June, at columns 790.92. The estimate of £8,729 million was at average 1983.84 prices and at an exchange rate of £1=$1.53.