§ 19. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for further reductions on defence expenditure.
§ Mr. MasonI have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 24th June.—[Vol. 894, c. 218.]
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to publish his further review of arms spending; and if he will make an advance statement on what approximate saving he intends on the current year's arms expenditure.
§ Mr. MasonIf my hon. Friend has the public expenditure survey in mind, the outcome for public expenditure as a whole will be published in a White Paper in due course.
§ Mr. Goodhartasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about the implementation of the defence cuts.
§ Mr. MasonThe Budget cut of £136 million at 1975 survey prices applied to 1976–7, and we shall aim to absorb it in the programme for that year with the152W least possible damage to our planned capability for the future. A detailed sift is being made of the programme during the preparation of the annual Estimates, with savings sought over the widest available area to minimise the impact on individual projects and to avoid cuts of major projects, or major changes of plan.