§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the numbers of applications for permission to use royal476W parks property for filming, photography and sound recordings which are dealt with each week by the press office facilities officer of his Department.
§ Mr. Ridley[holding answer 20 July 1989]: My Department's press office facilities officer—in consultation with the parks and police authorities—deals with about 14 requests a week to use the royal parks, Trafalgar Square, Parliament square and Grosvenor square for the purposes of filming cinema and television dramas, documentaries, commercials and outside broadcasts; and about 30 applications a month for fashion and advertising photography which includes requests for annual passes.
Major news companies, based in London, hold annual passes for frequent news features and commentaries on camera, mainly on Abingdon street gardens.
Sound broadcasts are infrequent.