HC Deb 17 May 1985 vol 79 c266W
Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's latest estimate of Soviet defence expenditure; and what proportion of this it estimates is spent on (a) defensive and (b) offensive systems.

Mr. Lee

Our most recent estimate for Soviet defence expenditure is 96 billion to 103 billion roubles in 1983 at current prices. Since many systems may be used in a defensive or offensive role, subdivision of the estimates on this basis would not be meaningful.