§ 56. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he now intends to take to increase spending by his Department in the development areas; and what was the total spent in Scotland in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MasonLike other Government Departments, the Ministry of Defence already allows some preference in the award of contracts to firms in development areas, who also enjoy differential Investment Grants and the Regional Employment Premium.
On the second part of the Question, much detailed analysis is required to establish a geographical allocation of total defence expenditure, but estimates have been made for 1964–65 and 1965–66. These show that, exclusive of remittances by the Scottish members of the forces serving outside Scotland, about £125 million of Defence Budget expenditure was spent in Scotland in each year.