§ Sir F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what has been the total estimated cost to the British Exchequer in terms of actual expenditure, and in regard to the balance of payments, of the Agreement on Mutual Defence and Assistance between the United Kingdom and Malta, since its coming into force up to the present day;
(2) what has been the total estimated cost to the British Exchequer in terms of actual expenditure, and in regard to the balance of payments, of the Agreement on External Defence and Mutual Assistance between the United Kingdom and 25W Malaya, since its coming into force up to the present day;
(3) what has been the total estimated cost to the British Exchequer in terms of actual expenditure, and in regard to the balance of payments, of the Agreement on Mutual Defence and Assistance between the United Kingdom and the Federation of Nigeria, since its coming into force up to the present day.
§ Mr. HealeySo far as the Defence Budget is concerned, no money has been spent up to the present day in consequence of the Defence Agreements with Malta and Nigeria which would not have been spent in any case.
No costs were incurred in consequence of the Defence Agreement with Malaya until it was extended to cover the rest of Malaysia in August, 1963. Thereafter, the costs of confrontation which were incurred in conformity with the extended Defence Agreement, amounted in budgetary terms to about £13 million and in terms of overseas currency to about £25 million.