(DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE)
11 February, 1975.]
[Continued.
51
Wessex support helicopters are not able to carry out these tasks fully as they have a limited pay load and an insufficient radius of action to support the Army in the concept of operations that is envisaged in the future. The deletion of the planned buy of 15 medium lift helicopters, to provide a front line of 12, will mean that the present force of support helicopters will have to continue in service without the planned improvements in operational effectiveness.
Q12. Para 31. Which RAF stations are already on the final list of closures?
A12. *
Q13. Para 35.
*
*
What reduction in the number of qualified scientists and engineers employed by the Ministry will result from the reduction in intramural R & D? Is any redundancy likely amongst QSEs?
A13. Information in terms of qualified scientists and engineers is not readily available. Some 15,000 non-industrial staff in the Controllerate of R & D Estab- lishments and Research are concerned with defence intramural R & D. We aim to achieve over the Review period a balanced rundown of 10% of both professional and supporting staffs. This will be done mainly by not replacing normal wastage in full since it is essential to retain a continuing level of recruitment to maintain a healthy and viable organisation. Since wastage may be uneven, the possibility of some small pockets of redundancy in certain disciplines or skills cannot be ruled out.
Q14. Para 46. Would you please provide an estimate of defence expenditure for
1974/75 at 1974 Survey Prices?
A14. Defence Estimates for 1974/75 at 1974 Survey prices were £3,612 million after taking account of the short term cuts of £262 million made in December 1973 and March 1974. The forecast of outturn, which appeared in Cmnd 5879 is £3,560 million.
Q15. Annex A. For each of the items listed, would you please state the estimated total savings, and the time span during which those savings will arise?
A15.
*
*
*
DEFENCE REVIEW (D.44)
Supplementary Memorandum by the Ministry of Defence (SCOE 70/2)
The following are answers to the 8 questions in the letter from the Clerk to the Sub-Committee dated 5 February and to the question in the Clerk's letter of 6 February.
Q1. GNP Comparisons. Would you please state the currency) taken as the GNP for the United Kingdom, arriving at the comparison in paragraph 2 of SCOE 70? wish to see a comparison of defence expenditure for per capita terms.
Al. The 1974 figures are as follows:
GNP
amounts (in a common France and Germany in The Sub-Committee also these three countries in
per capita Defence Expenditure
UK
FR
FRG
:
::
:
::
US $ million
166,000 237,000 337,000
US $
172
170
228
(266 incl. Berlin)
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