HC Deb 20 February 1968 vol 759 cc81-2W
Mr. Alison

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how the figure of£110 million, described in paragraph 24 of Command Paper No. 3515 as the cut, at 1964 prices, in the anticipated defence budget in 1969–70 of£1,970 million, at 1964 prices, which is to result from the cuts then announced, is reconciled with the figure of£110 million at 1967 survey prices, shown under the corresponding heading in the statistical appendix to Command Paper No. 3515.

Mr. Healey

As the hon. Member knows, there are inevitable statistical difficulties in expressing changes in current programmes at past price levels and these difficulties increase the further away one moves from the base year and as specifications change. It is therefore necessary to adopt statistical conventions for such calculations. The conventions used in Command 3515 gave the results set out in that document.