HC Deb 30 July 1923 vol 167 c1050W
Mr. DARBISHIRE

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the average cost per head of military, naval, and air defence in this country; and what the contributions made by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa to the cost of Imperial defence amount to per head of the population of these Dominions?

Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKS

The defence expenditure of this country, on the basis of the provision made in the Estimates for the current year, amounts to £2 18s. 5d. per head of the population. On the basis of the Estimates for the year 1922–23, the approximate cost of defence per head of population of European descent in the Dominions is as follows:

s. d.
Australia 17 11
Canada 6 8
New Zealand 11 4
South Africa 12 1

It is not possible to discriminate between the cost of internal defence by the self-governing Dominions and their contribution to Imperial defence.