§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the present total cost to the British taxpayer of the research, development, and building of the Concorde aircraft.
§ Mr. Michael MarshallThe latest estimate of the manufacturers' total development costs in Britain and France is £1,134 million. The expenditure is divided as follows between actual past expenditure and estimated future expenditure :
The manufacturers' total production costs to the end of 1979 were £366 million in the United Kingdom and 3,386 million francs in France. The manufacturers' receipts from the sale of aircraft, and from the sale or lease of engines and spares, to 389W the end of 1979 were £146 million in the United Kingdom and 1,552 million francs in France. With the completion of the 16 aircraft and associated production programmes, and with arrangements having been agreed between the British and French Governments for the placing of marketable aircraft and engines, the production phase is regarded as having been completed on 31 December 1979. Subsequent expenditures and receipts, other than the residual costs of engine development to completion of the programme, are regarded as arising from the support of Concorde aircraft and engines in airline service. Estimates of the British element for 1980–81 were given in "The Government's Expenditures Plans 1980–81 to 1983–84"—Cmnd 7841.
At 31 March 1980 the Government's total net commitment to Concorde production and in-service support expenditures stood at £282 million, and net expenditures at £240 million.