§ 3. Mr. Stanbrookasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be in a position to assess the results of the adventure training scheme; and, in particular, whether any increase in its scope may be needed.
§ Mr. WigginApplications for places on the scheme will be accepted from 29 March, and the first courses will begin shortly after Easter. I shall be keeping the scheme under review as it progresses through the summer. It will not be possible to increase its scope beyond the 7, 000 places already announced.
§ Mr. StanbrookIs my hon. Friend aware that this excellent scheme, if properly handled, will be very popular among young people? Will he ensure that adequate resources will always be available for it? If the demand proves sufficient, will he expand it?
§ Mr. WigginAs I said, I do not think that we can expand it this year, because the scheme is designed to mop up spare capacity of our training machine. For the same reason, I cannot give any assurances about the future beyond this 12-month period.
§ Mr. CanavanWhat is the point in spending about £1½ million for the MOD to provide adventure courses for young people when Government economic policy is 782 forcing local authorities to close down their adventure centres, and the Outward Bound Trust cannot even fill all the vacant places at its centres, like the Lochiel centre in Scotland? Is it not a bit thick that the Fuhrer of this new youth army is to be none other than the mad-cap toy soldier, the well-known Lieutenant-Colonel John Blashford-Snell, who seems to have spent much of his Army service on paid tours all over the world on exploits that are of questionable value to young people, especially unemployed and under-privileged young people who should get priority in any Government-sponsored training schemes?
§ Mr. WigginColonel Blashford-Snell has done a remarkably good job in conveying many of the virtues and disciplines of the Armed Forces to many under-privileged young people over many years. I hope that the opportunity that we are giving him now to repeat that will be welcomed. This is a charitable gesture, to deal with a short-term problem in a way that I believe will be of great benefit to about 7, 000 young people.
§ Mr. Maxwell-HyslopWill my hon. Friend look at the way the scheme is being run, because it seems as though priority is being given to public school cadet forces, rather than to the deprived boys for whom the House understood that the scheme was introduced? Is that not a deviation from what was announced as the original intention?
§ Mr. WigginMy hon. Friend is right on a point of detail, in that the original statement said that cadet forces would be given priority. However, I have given instructions that the combined cadet force, which already has similar training, camps and other facilities, shall not be given priority. Priority will be given to the Army cadet force, the air cadets and the Navy cadets. I hope that I have put the matter straight.
§ Mr. McNamaraWill the Minister tell us what priority he will give to children or young people from under-privileged backgrounds in city centres? Will he give an undertaking that they will be put to no expense, nor be expected to meet any charges for equipment, uniforms, running shoes, football boots, games equipment, and such items?
§ Mr. WigginWe have said that the scheme will be free and that we shall provide travel, food and clothing that is suitable for training. I have kept a close eye on maintaining a balance. It is a difficult subject. For example, if we took young people only from under-privileged areas, the scheme would not be as useful as a more balanced scheme. There will be central control, with the idea of trying to get a reasonable balance between the under-privileged and better-off areas of the country.