ABSTRACT
In broad terms it is simple to discover how much it costs to run the British Army. The Defence Estimates are presented to Parliament each year, in order that the amount of money required may be authorised, and these estimates are published as an annual White Paper. For 1969 the Defence Budget was £2,266m., of which the Army share proposed was £598m. The Department of Economic Affairs has published a document entitled The Task Ahead, which forecasts the Defence Budget as being £2,000m. in 1972 at 1968 prices. Assuming that the Army continues to be given 30% of the total, it will have roughly £600m. to spend. Capital equipment may well go up considerably in the mid 1970s, with dangerously large bills to pay if the Army is to remain as well-equipped as it is in 1970. Pensions, and Research and Development, will continually climb, though efforts will probably be made to cut back on the latter whenever possible.
