§ Mr. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are being made for the entertainment of the forces stationed in the Falkland Islands.
§ Mr. WigginWe are very conscious of the need to provide entertainment for the garrison. Combined Services Entertainment has been arranging regular live variety shows which have been most successful. The next group of entertainers, which includes a comedian, a female illusionist, folk singers, a fire eater, and an all-girl song and dance group, will fly to Ascension on 16 December and will give a series of shows in the Falklands over the Christmas period.
In addition the Service Sound and Vision Corporation is now able to arrange for 10 hours 40 minutes of prerecorded radio programmes to be broadcast each week, and there are a large number of TV sets and video recorders with the garrison on which pre-recorded material can be shown.
Some sports equipment has already been sent, and a further £10,000 worth has been ordered. The football pitch has been cleared of mines and is in use. There are limited facilities for indoor entertainment available in Portacabin camps at San Carlos and Goose Green. The Service units have canteens, which are supplied by NAAFI, and a junior ranks club is to be set up at San Carlos in January.
As well as facilities and equipment provided by the MOD, the public have been very generous in their donations of recreational equipment. This includes gifts 623W of, or funding for, a number of canoes, yachts, fishing boats and sailing dinghies. In addition, £40,000 from the South Atlantic Fund has already been used to purchase a variety of welfare goods.