asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was Great Britain's military research and development spending for 1974 and 1979; and what is the estimated spending for 1983 at constant prices.

Provision for research and development in the 1979–80 defence estimates was £1,081 million. The corresponding figure for 1974–75 at the same price base was £985 million. Both figures are at 1979 survey prices. An estimated figure for 1983–84 will not be available until closer to that year.