More than a quarter of the TT programmes published this year were given away by the government.

The total number of programmes and separate race guides printed for this year’s festival was 27,000.

Of those, 4,410 were given away.

The total number of programmes sold for TT 2017 stands currently at 13,464.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK confirmed the figures to Tynwald.

Of the 4,410 given away, 3,500 were provided to the department free of charge, under the terms of the contract with the publisher, and the remainder were bought at half of cost price.

Distribution

The free programmes were distributed as follows: 1,900 to marshals; 1,440 for VIP hospitality packs; 500 for the press office; 250 in rider packs; 135 for officials, 100 for medics; 60 for St John Ambulance and 25 for landowners.

The numbers were revealed in a written answer to a Tynwald question from David Anderson MLC.

Mr Skelly declined to reveal details of printing costs, advertising receipts and net receipts, because a tender process is underway to print the programmes for 2018 and onwards.

He said that to release details could ’compromise’ the DED’s ability to find the best bid.