Dr. John CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on proof and experimental work carried out overseas, broken down by the countries in which this work takes place, in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of this work which could be carried out at range facilities in the United Kingdom. [17673]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A preliminary survey, however, indicates that in the past five years more than £8 million has been spent on proof and experimental work in a range of overseas countries. Such work is conducted overseas when it provides better value for money, or when no suitable range is available in the UK, or when extreme climate conditions are required.