§ Lord James Douglas-Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent of the contribution of 269W the British armed services, in the context of Edinburgh castle, to benefit the Edinburgh Festival and the public perception of the armed forces in Edinburgh and Scotland, through the Edinburgh military tattoo and in other ways; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanFor centuries the public has been familiar with the sight of the daily mounting of the Edinburgh Castle guard and other public ceremonial duties. More recently, the Armed Forces have organised the Edinburgh military tattoo, which involves over 350 military personnel in August each year at the time of the Edinburgh Festival. The military presence at Edinburgh castle is an integral part of the Edinburgh garrison. It includes a number of military units, and houses the operational headquarters of 52 Lowland Brigade, for which we foresee a continuing role in the future.