§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times in each of the past five years the ceremonial flagpoles in Parliament Square and The Mall have been put up and taken down again; and what was the total annual cost of this in each of those years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergFlagpoles have been erected and dismantled in Parliament Square and The Mall on the following number of occasions over the past five years:
Parliament Square The Mall Annual Cost £ 1976–77 2 2 33,880 1977–78 3 1 35,780 1978–79 4 2 51,380 1979–80 3 2 55,293 1980–81 3 1 40,381 In 1976–77 and 1979–80 flagpoles in Parliament Square were left up after one flag-flying occasion for use on another one shortly afterwards.