Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2021 to Question 85327 on Queen's Guards: Uniforms, how much his Department has spent in total on (a) procuring the bearskin ceremonial caps worn by the Queen’s Guard and (b) seeking to develop a faux fur alternative for use in the making those caps in the last seven years.
The below table outlines the Department’s spending on Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps over the past seven years:
Bearskins purchased by the MOD | |
Calendar Year | Cost |
2015 | £149,379 |
2016 | £240,382 |
2017 | £201,071 |
2018 | £76,206 |
2019 | £127,440 |
2020 | £145,000 |
2021 | £39,330 |
Since 2015, there have been four synthetic fur test results analysed.
Where appropriate the Ministry of Defence uses faux fur alternatives, providing they meet the specific user requirements. Currently, artificial fur does not meet the necessary requirements or perform to the standard expected of fabric to be used for the Queen’s Guards ceremonial caps.