§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total cost of bands and any other musical services in the Armed Forces, including pay, in cash and as a percentage of total defence expenditure; and how many persons are employed in the musical services in the Armed Forces.
§ Mr. Hayhoe:The total annual cost of musical services in the Armed Forces is approximately £29 million, which represents 0.27 per cent. of total defence expenditure. There are currently 3,785 personnel in these services, who are also trained for essential wartime roles such as guarding key points, stretcher bearers and drivers.