§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give in current and constant prices the annual expenditure on Trident from 1980 to the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. ButlerAnnual expenditure on Trident I and II to March 1985 is as follows:246W
£ million Financial year 80–81 81–82 82–83 83–84 84–85 Current (Outturn) price 3 31 71 95 162 1984–85 prices and at £1–$1.38 5 44 89 107 162 The figure for 1984–85 financial year may be subject to minor adjustment.
§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will indicate the proportion of Trident expenditure spent and predicted to be spent in each of the five-year terms beginning 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995.
§ Mr. ButlerBroadly, the proportion of Trident expenditure spent and predicted to be spent is somewhat under 5 per cent. up to the end of the 1984–85 financial year, building up to about 40 per cent. by the end of the decade and a little over 80 per cent. by 1995. This includes expenditure on Trident I and Trident II.
§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence in which year the 18–year Trident programme started.
§ Mr. ButlerThe 18–year procurement period for Trident II started in 1982, as the previous Secretary of State for Defence made clear when he announced the programme on 11 March 1982 at column 979.