Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if his department will provide a timetable for reviewing the continued use of real bearskin in military ceremonial uniforms.

The current cost of a bearskin cap is £2,460 including VAT. Whilst the longevity of caps varies depending on how they are maintained, this can be up to and in excess of 20 years.

The Department has not yet identified a synthetic alternative that meets the standards required to provide an effective replacement for bearskin ceremonial caps. However, the Ministry of Defence remains committed to finding a synthetic alternative and continues to welcome submissions of test results, from a testing house accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, on synthetic alternatives that meet our criteria for a suitable, affordable and sustainable alternative to bearskin caps.