HC Deb 19 November 1986 vol 105 c225W
Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about the level of defence spending in the current year and 1985, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product of the United Kingdom, Eire, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia and Albania, respectively.

Mr. Stanley

Using the national definition of defence expenditure, the United Kingdom's defence budget accounted for 5.0 per cent. of GDP in 1985–86, and is expected to account for 4.9 per cent. in the current financial year. Comparable figures for the other countries mentioned are not available. Information concerning these countries is published by the International Institute of Strategic Studies in "The Military Balance 1986–87", page 212.