§ 31. Mr. Prescottasked the Secretary of State for Employment what further steps he has in mind to improve standards of training for North Sea divers.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that as part of its programme to improve training in underwater working and following the publication on 5th November by the Training Services Agency of a national training standard for basic air diving and underwater working, the Agency is now taking steps to draw up 513W a standard for training for mixed gas diving. Since the Agency introduced the national system of certification for trainee divers, a number of private diving schools have expressed an interest in running approved basic air courses and the Agency is now prepared to offer loans towards capital expenditure to private diving schools who wish to bring their training facilities up to the required standard.
The certification scheme is to be extended to mixed gas courses when the training standard is available.
The Underwater Training Centre, Fort William, is to develop a range of specialist courses to meet the particular needs of offshore diving.