§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the benefits of(a) Trooping the Colour and (b) Beating the Retreat in formulating his policy on each ceremony. [128808]
§ Dr. Moonie[holding answer 3 July 2000]: The Trooping of the Colour is a birthday parade laid on by the Household Division for Her Majesty the Queen as their Sovereign and Colonel in Chief. Beating the Retreat raises funds for service charities. Both events are a traditional display of pageantry and the excellent skills of our service personnel and increase the standing and esteem of the armed forces in the eyes of the public.
These are important factors in our current planning for armed forces events to be held in London annually from 2001 onwards.