§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Minister of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom defence expenditure for the years 1958–59 and 1969–70 as a percentage of gross national product, together with similar percentage figures for West Germany, Italy, France, Holland and Belgium, on the basis of information available to him from international sources.
§ Lord BalnielThe following is the information:
1958 1969 Per cent. Per cent. United Kingdom … 7.8 5.9 West Germany … 3.4 4.1 Italy … 4.0 3.1 France … 7.9 5.1 Holland … 5.0 4.0 Belgium … 3.9 3.1 NOTE:
The above percentages are calculated from defence expenditures according to a standard definition, expressed as a ratio of G.N.P. at factor cost. Because the period covered by financial years differs from country to country, calendar years have been used.