§ Mr. Wallasked the Minister of State for Defence if he will publish an up-to-date table showing the percentage of the gross national product spent on defence in each financial year from 1957–58 to date, and estimates for as far ahead as these are made.
§ Lord BalnielThe following is the information:
Per cent. 1957–58 … … … … 7.4 1958–59 … … … … 7.1 1959–60 … … … … 6.9 1960–61 … … … … 6.9 1961–62 … … … … 6.9 1962–63 … … … … 6.8 1963–64 … … … … 6.5 1964–65 … … … … 6.5 1965–66 … … … … 6.5 1966–67 … … … … 6.4 1967–68 … … … … 6.3 1968–69 … … … … 6.0 1969–70 … … … … 5.5 1970–71 … … … … 5.7 1971–72 … … … … 5.7 1972–73 … … … … 5.5 It is not the practice to publish forecasts of GNP in future years. Notes: (1) The figures are of the Defence Budget on the United Kingdom definition, expressed as a rate of GNP at factor cost. (2) The figures for 1971–72 and 1972–73 are estimated: those for earlier years are based on outturn.