HC Deb 01 May 1952 vol 499 cc118-9W
Mrs. Castle

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what proportion of the total output of the engineering, shipbuilding and allied industries is represented by an expenditure on defence production of £400 million in 1951–52 and £650 million in 1952–53, respectively.

Mr. Birch

Not all expenditure on defence production falls on the engineering, shipbuilding and other metal-using industries. Table 7 of the Economic Survey estimates that the burden on these industries amounted to £275 million in 1951–52 and may equal £460 million in 1952–53. The 1951–52 figure represented one-twelfth of their output in 1951–52. For 1952–53 the proportion is expected to be rather less than one-seventh.