Written Answers
Underground Operations Centre: High Wycombe
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it is their intention to proceed with the proposal to build an underground bunker covering nine acres on the site of Hollybush Farm, Naphill, High Wycombe; whether the land is owned by the National Trust, whose objection to the project would involve an inquiry by a Parliamentary Select Committee; and whether the use of the site for the proposed purpose would not infringe its Green Belt status within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Her Majesty's Government are planning to construct a new underground operations centre on 12 acres of land adjacent to RAF High Wycombe. The land is owned by the National Trust, who have said they are prepared to make it available to the Ministry of Defence on a 99-year lease, provided satisfactory arrangements can be agreed on landscaping, restoration, and an access route for construction traffic. Full discussions have taken place between the trust, the Ministry of Defence and the Property Services Agency on these issues, and agreement has been reached on most of them. Negotiations are continuing on the remainder.The site lies within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has Green Belt status, but considerable care has been taken in drawing up the plans to ensure that the project, once completed, will have virtually no visual impact on the surrounding area. The local authority raised no objections to the project.
Defence Expenditures: Nato And Warsaw Pact
asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of their gross national product is spent on " defence " by each of the 15 members of NATO and what are the similar percentages of each of the Warsaw Pact powers.
NATO calculates defence expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product. The provisional figures for 1981 are as follows:
| Country | $ GDP spent on defence |
| Greece | 5·9 |
| USA | 5·8 |
| UK | 5·0 |
| Turkey | 4·8 |
| France | 4·2 |
| Portugal | 3·6 |
| Germany | 3·4 |
| Belguim | 3·3 |
| Netherlands | 3·2 |
| Norway | 2·9 |
| Italy | 2·5 |
| Canada | 1·8 |
| Luxembourg | 1·3 |
The figure for Iceland is negligible; information for Denmark is not available.
No reliable defence expenditure figures are published by the Warsaw Pact countries. It is however estimated that the USSR, which accounts for the majority of Warsaw Pact defence spending, devotes some 12–14 per cent. of GNP to defence. The difference between GDP and GNP is not thought to be significant for the purpose of these comparisons.
House adjourned at three minutes past nine o'clock.