§ 18. Mr. Farrasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider increasing defence expenditure to meet the threat posed by the increasing armament of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
§ Mr. NottThe Government are already doing so. Defence expenditure this year is expected to be some 8 per cent. higher in real terms than in 1978–79, and, as announced in Cmnd. 8288, the Government plan to implement in full until 1985–86 the NATO aim of real increases in defence spending in the regions of 3 per cent, a year.