To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure on parachute training his Department has incurred in each of the last five years. (284534)

The figures provided in the following table show the operating and staff costs for: No 1 Parachute Training School (PTS), RAF Brize Norton; its Parachute Support Wings; and the Joint Service Parachute Centres (JSPC). The training undertaken by the PTS and its support wings provide basic parachute training and specialist high altitude training. The JSPCs undertake freefall parachute training as part of military adventurous training.

The costs include those incurred by the RAF Falcons Display team which cannot be separated. However, the majority of team members are instructors and their display activities are considered to be training in free-fall techniques which they then use in their role as instructors. Military aircraft costs are excluded as they have already been programmed as part of the RAF Management Plan and would be incurred whether the aircraft were used for parachute training or other activities.

During financial year 2005-06 the Parachute Support Wings were restructured, which is a contributory factor in the drop in costs in subsequent years.