§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he undertook between the publication of the defence review in March and the reduction in defence spending by £110 million announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 15th April; and why the later cuts could not have been foreseen in the March review.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe cut was a Budget measure. Our allies were informed immediately after the Chancellor's Statement. The Defence White Paper published in March took into account the decisions on defence expenditure taken by then and could not anticipate the Chancellor's budgetary judgment on public expenditure as a whole.
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Defence how the proposed further 16W defence cuts of £110 million will be divided between new equipment purchases, stores and ammunition purchases, personnel strengths, new living accommodation and other expenditure.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) on 22nd April.—[Vol. 890, c.251–52.]