§ Mr. Ron Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report a breakdown by country of the cost of military expenditure overseas in 1974.
§ Mr. MasonAn estimate of local defence expenditure by the three Services for the financial year 1974–75 for some countries was given in my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence's reply to the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 23rd July. A more comprehensive breakdown by countries but on a slightly different basis is contained in the Central Statistical Office publication, "United Kingdom Balance of Payments 1963–1973". This is of invisible expenditure, by calendar years. The next edition will show the following figures for 1974:
£m North America … 25 Commonwealth Caribbean area … 2 German Federal Republic … 324 France … 5 Other Western Europe … 30 Gibraltar … 13 Malta … 31 Cyprus … 28 Malaysia and Singapore … 12 Hong Kong … 37 Australia and New Zealand … 9 Other countries … 40
§ Mr. Ron Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the total cost of military expenditure overseas in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MasonSuccessive Defence White Papers show estimated expenditure for the current financial year and the latest forecast for the prior year. For invisible expenditure by calendar years I refer my hon. Friend to the Central Statistical Office publication, "United Kingdom Balance of Payments 1963–1973". The next edition will show the 1974 figures as a credit of£40 million, and a debit of£569 million.
§ Mr. Ron Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the cost of military expenditure overseas in the first quarter of 1974 and 1975.
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§ Mr. MasonI refer my hon. Friend to the Central Statistical Office publication, "Economic Trends, June 1975". Military debits on the invisible account by quarters are set out on page 84.