§ Mr. Rowlandasked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of gross national product has been devoted to defence expenditure in each year since 1945.
§ Mr. HealeyDefence expenditure as a percentage of gross national product is as follows:
282W
Year Percentage of GNP 1945–46 … … … … 42.9 1946–47 … … … … 17.3 1947–48 … … … … 9.6 1948–49 … … … … 6.9 1949–50 … … … … 6.7 1950–51 … … … … 6.6 1951–52 … … … … 8.5 1952–53 … … … … 9.7 1953–54 … … … … 8.9 1954–55 … … … … 8.9 1955–56 … … … … 8.1 1956–57 … … … … 8.1 1957–58 … … … … 7.3 1958–59 … … … … 71 1959–60 … … … … 6.8 1960–61 … … … … 6.9 1961–62 … … … … 6.9 1962–63 … … … … 6.9 1963–64 … … … … 6.6 1964–65 … … … … 6.6 The above percentages are based on expenditure within the Defence Budget. On N.A.T.O. definitions they would be increased by 0.3 (1964–65) to 0.7 according to the year.