§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimated annual cost of ceremonial horses and soldiers in the defence budget; what percentage of the whole budget this represents; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonMembers of the Household Division and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery are required to perform both military and ceremonial duties and therefore it is not possible, without disproportionate effort and cost, to separately identify the personnel costs of each of these roles. However, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery have approximately 400 horses which are used for ceremonial duties at an estimated cost of £0.47 million for financial year 1990–91. This represents 0.0022 per cent. of the defence budget.