§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 February.Official Report, column 777, what is the current establishment and annual running costs of (a) the Household Division piping school, (b) the Guards Depot piping school, (c) the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division 109W and (d) the Army school of piping; what are the particular tasks of each unit; whb is responsible for training Gurkha pipers; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe current establishment of the schools is as follows:
Staff Household Division Piping School (also known as the Guards Depot Piping School): 1 Pipe Major 3 Pipe Instructors The Piping and Drumming Wing of the Scottish Division: 1 Pipe Major 1 Drum Major 5 Pipe Instructors 3 Drum Instructors The Army School of Bagpipe Music: 1 Director of Bagpipe Music 1 Pipe Major Instructor The annual running costs of these schools are not identified separately from their parent establishments.
The task of the Household Division piping school is piper training for the Household Division. From 1 April 1993 this school will close and training will be carried out at the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division.
The task of the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division is the piper and drummer training from elementary to advanced levels of the Scottish Regiments, the Royal Irish Regiment, the Scots and Irish Guards, and Gurkha and Royal Armoured Corps Regiments established for pipes and drums.
The task of the Army school of bagpipe music is to improve the standard of piping, drumming and bugling in the Army.
Class 3 (elementary) Gurkha Pipers and Drummers are trained at the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division. Other pipers are trained at the Army school of bagpipe music.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 February,Official Report, column 777, how pipe bands are found from within the peacetime establishment of (a) Scottish infantry regiments and (b) the Royal Irish Regiment.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe pipe and drums in Scottish infantry regiments and the Royal Irish Regiment are primarily infantry trained soldiers. When not training or on operational duties they are made available on order of the commanding officer to pipe and drum.
§ Mr. TrotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the non-medical support roles fulfilled by Royal Marine musicians and buglers; and what are the non-musical peacetime tasks of the personnel of each of the six RM bands.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonApart from the medical orderly role, the purpose of the personnel of the Royal Marines band service in the event of war or other emergency is to provide disciplined bodies of men capable of assuming responsibility for the physical security of military establishments.
When not undertaking their musical duties the most important peacetime role of RM bands personnel is to train for their wartime medical orderly role. In addition, they have miscellaneous messing responsibilities.