§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the broad categories of defence expenditure where he expects to make the £200 million worth of reductions announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the year 1981–82;
(2) if, within the limits of security, he will indicate which units of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force are most likely to be reduced in size or held down below the levels to which they otherwise would have been built up if the latest cuts in defence expenditure had not been made;
(3) which items of equipment or stores for the Armed Forces are most likely to be reduced, delayed in procurement or held down below the levels to which they otherwise would have been built up if the Government had not made £200 million worth of defence cuts.
§ Mr. PymDefence spending is, of course, still expected to increase next year by some 2½ per cent. Decisions have not yet been taken on how the £200 million reduction on previous plans is to be effected. However, it seems likely that some of the measures taken this year, for example, reduced levels of activity and equipment procurement, will be carried into next year.