§ 35. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Defence if he will state the percentages of the national Budget expenditure and national gross product, respectively, devoted to defence in each of the last twelve years.
§ Mr. SandysCentral Government current expenditure on military defence as a percentage of the gross product is estimated as follows:
1946 … … … … 17.8 1947 … … … … 9.9 1948 … … … … 7.1 1949 … … … … 7.0 1950 … … … … 7.0 1951 … … … … 8.3 1952 … … … … 10.4 1953 … … … … 10.3(a) 1954 … … … … 9.8 1955 … … … … 9.0 1956 … … … … 9.0 1957 … … … … 8.0 (provisional) As a percentage of total Central Government current expenditure (excluding expenditure of the National Insurance funds) current expenditure on military defence is estimated at:
1946 … … … … 38.2 1947 … … … … 28.5 1948 … … … … 23.4 1949 … … … … 23.0 1950 … … … … 24.8 1951 … … … … 29.8 1952 … … … … 34.9 1953 … … … … 35.7 1954 … … … … 35.2(a) 1955 … … … … 33.9(a) 1956 … … … … 34.3 1957 … … … … 31.9 (provisional) The figures marked (a) differ slightly from those given in answer to the hon. Member's similar Question of 19th July, 1956, because of revisions that have since been made in the original National Income Blue Book data from which the percentages are calculated.