§ Mr. Churchillasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the figure of £6,466 million for defence expenditure in the year 1979–80 announced in the Government's Expenditure White Paper dated January 1978, Command Paper No. 7049, represents an increase or decrease in planned expenditure compared to the January 1977 Expenditure White Paper, Command Paper No. 6721, and by what percentage.
§ Mr. MulleyI would refer the hon. Member to table 2.1 of Cmnd. 7049-II, which compares the planned defence budget of £6,466 million in 1979–80 with the provisional figure given last year in Cmnd. 6721, revalued to 1977 survey prices. The difference is £55 million, a decrease of less than 1 per cent. The figures for 1979–80 and 1980–81 given in Cmnd. 6721, in common with all projections for those years shown in that document, were described at the time as provisional.
§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide, in tabular form, details at 1977 survey prices of cuts and projected cuts in defence expenditure year by year from 1975–76 to 1983–84 inclusive.
§ Mr. MulleyI would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 17th February 1978.—[Vol. 944, cc.430– 2]