§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total amount of expenditure in each year since 1974 on the Royal Navy presentation team; what is its precise function; how many persons (a) civilian and (b) military are employed by the team and in what capacities; how many presentations were given in each year since 1974 by the team and at which locations; how the audience is selected for presentation by the team; and what was the total number in each year present at each location.
§ Mr. SpeedThe purpose of the Royal Navy presentation team is to promote public awareness of the need for and the roles of the Royal Navy. It is headed by a captain RN and comprises 13 RN/RM personnel, of whom seven tour the country during the autumn and spring, in two separate groups. The remaining members of the team provide administrative support; their duties include organising the programme and the issue of invitations.
The annual extra cost of the team over the past two years is as follows:
£ 1979–80 46,700 1980–81 64,500 The majority of the presentations are given to firms or groups which have expressed an interest and occasionally at universities. The audience for these is selected by the host organisation. The remainder are public presentations, of which there are about 50 a year. The audiences are in this case invited by the team and are drawn, generally on the advice of the local authority concerned, from a representative selection of organisations, societies and leading members of the community.
Over 200 presentations are given each year throughout Great Britain; nearly 32,500 people attended last year. Additional interviews were given by the team on radio and television last year to audiences estimated at over 20 million.
It would require disproportionate effort to provide further details in the form requested.