§ Mr. Portilloasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give, for each financial year from 1978–79 to the current year, the increase in real terms in the total defence budget over the previous year.
§ Mr. StanleyThe information is as follows:
Year Real increase in outturn defence expenditure Percentage 1979–80 2.9 1980–81 2.7 1981–82 1.5 1982–83 6.0 1983–84 *2.2 Note: * Includes £251 million available for carry forward to 1984–85. The outturn for 1984–85 is not yet available.