HC Deb 11 May 1990 vol 172 c268W
Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of public performances undertaken by military bands in 1989.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Details of public performances carried out by Army bands in 1989 are not held centrally and could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

The Royal Marines gave a total of 596 public performances in 1989 and the Royal Air Force gave 389.

Mr. Fisher

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish a table showing the case of military bands in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Full details of all the costs of maintaining Service bands are not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost and effort. The table shows estimated staff costs (including overheads) based on the numbers serving in the bands in each year.

Total of Service bands
Year £ million
1980–81 42.3
1981–82 46.0
1982–83 49.5
1983–84 51.3
1984–85 46.6
1985–86 48.2
1986–87 50.1
1987–88 51.2
1988–89 52.7
1989–90 55.2

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