Nuclear Weapons (Costs)

HC Deb 27 June 1997 vol 296 cc664-5W

Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the proportion of the defence budget for (i) each of the last 10 years and (ii) the current year spent on(a) capital spending and (b) running costs for nuclear weapons. [4755]

Dr. Reid

[holding answer 23 June 1997]: Polaris and Trident capital and running costs for years 1987–88 to 1996–97 as a percentage of the defence budget are as follows:

	Capital costs	Running costs
1987–88	3	2
1988–89	4	1

	Capital costs	Running cost
1989–90	4	1
1990–91	4	1
1991–92	5	1
1992–93	4	1
1993–94	4	1
1994–95	3	1
1995–96	2	1
1996–97	2	1

The estimate for 1997–98 for capital costs represents 1 per cent. of the 1997–98 defence budget. No consolidated estimate of Polaris and Trident running costs for 1997–98 is yet available. The costs of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb which will go out of service by 31 March 1998 and the Lance nuclear artillery system which was withdrawn from service in 1992–93 are not recorded separately. However, records show that there has been no major capital expenditure on WE177 in the last four years.