§ Baroness Noakesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Army and the Royal Air Force hold ski or snowboard championships; if so, where and when they take place; how many people attend and on what basis; and at what cost to public funds. [HL1060]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach)Both Army and the Royal Air Force hold ski and snowboard championships. Costs of attending are largely met by those Army/RAF personnel participating, but under triservice regulations, they are entitled to claim an allowance towards their food and travel.
The Army Alpine Skiing Championships were held at Serre Chevalier between 20 and 28 January with 132 competitors and officials being involved. The Army Snowboard Championships were held at Stubaital, Austria 13 to 21 December with 120 competitors and officials. Two hundred competitors took part in the Army Nordic Championships held at Ruhpolding 20 January to 4 February. These events were preceded by corps and divisional championships held at different European venues earlier in January. The costs to public funds of all Army events are estimated to be a maximum of £386,000.
The Royal Air Force Championships took place in Saalbach, Austria between 8 and 22 January. Some 758 RAF personnel attended Saalbach at an estimated maximum costs to public funds of £94,000. A team of 12 RAF also participated in Army-organised Nordic Championships at a cost of £8,000.