§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why procurement has risen from 36.7 per cent. of the defence budget in 1992–93 to 40 per cent. currently, and is it expected to rise to 45 per cent. by the end of the century.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Earl Howe)We are committed to providing the Armed Forces with the modern and capable equipment they need to carry out their demanding role in the new strategic environment. Efficiency savings, achieved not least through the Defence Costs Study, have enabled us to devote an increasing proportion of the defence budget to equipment procurement. We plan to continue to increase that proportion as further efficiency savings are delivered.