§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the cost of producing the large Royal Air Force 2002 calendar; and, in particular, the cost of distributing it to Members of one or both Houses of Parliament. [HL1278]
§ Lord BachThe Royal Air Force calendar has been produced jointly by the Directorate of Recruiting and Selection (RAF) and the Directorate of Corporate Communication (RAF) for a number of years as a tool to assist in recruiting and as a means of highlighting the work of the Royal Air Force. Distribution of the calendar is carefully targeted at selected individuals and organisations and the popularity of the product is such that demand always considerably exceeds supply. The RAF calendar has been made available to both the House of Commons and House of Lords for a number of years, with a bulk delivery being distributed internally by staff in Parliament. This method of distribution has now been changed to an individual basis to ensure more effective delivery.
For 2002, the Royal Air Force produced 50,000 calendars at a total cost of £62,633; a unit cost of £1.25p. The quality of the Royal Air Force calendar has been maintained at a high level while production costs have been reduced; for example the 1996 calendar carried a unit cost of £1.65. Postal distribution for the calendar is undertaken by the Defence Storage and Distribution Centre at Llangennech, utilising the Royal Mail at a second-class rate of 43p. The total cost of distribution to the Members of both Houses is £2,256.24.