Defence Spending (Hansard, 30 November 1989)

§ Mr. Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the size of the defence budget in real terms for each year since 1979.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Defence expenditure since 1979–80, after taking account of defence specific inflation, was as follows:

1988–89 prices

£ million

1979–80 18,015

1980–81 18,564

1981–82 18,736

1982–83 19,894

1983–84 20,230

1984–85 21,126

1985–86 21,030

1986–87 20,270

1987–88 19,936

1988–89 19,073

1989–90 ¹19,106

¹ Estimated outturn.

§ Mr. Frank Field
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list total defence spending as a proportion of gross domestic product for each year since 1979.

§ Mr. Archie Hamilton
Since 1979–80, defence expenditure has represented the following proportions of GDP:

per cent.

1979–80 4.4

1980–81 4.7

1981–82 4.8

1982–83 5.1

1983–84 5.0

1984–85 5.2

1985–86 4.9

1986–87 4.7

1987–88 4.4

1988–89 4.0

During the current financial year, it is estimated that defence expenditure will be about 3.9 per cent. of GDP.

1988–89 prices
	£ million
1979–80	18,015
1980–81	18,564
1981–82	18,736
1982–83	19,894
1983–84	20,230
1984–85	21,126
1985–86	21,030
1986–87	20,270
1987–88	19,936
1988–89	19,073
1989–90	¹19,106
¹ Estimated outturn.

	per cent.
1979–80	4.4
1980–81	4.7
1981–82	4.8
1982–83	5.1
1983–84	5.0
1984–85	5.2
1985–86	4.9
1986–87	4.7
1987–88	4.4
1988–89	4.0