§ 26. Mr. EvennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about the effect on the defence capability fo United Kingdom forces of reducing defence expenditure to the level of the European average; and if he will make a statement. [34924]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotReducing defence spending to the current NATO European average would involve cuts of more than £4.5 billion per year, which is about half the entire procurement budget.