HL Deb 04 July 1996 vol 573 c113WA
Lord Geddes

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made by the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency in developing a partnering arrangement.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Minister of Defence (Earl Howe)

As part of the Government's Competing For Quality and Private Finance Initiative, in December 1995 the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA) selected Flagship Training (a consortium consisting of Vosper Thornycroft, GEC/Marconi and Procord) as its preferred partner in naval training.

Following a process of detailed negotiation between the NRTA and Flagship Training, I am pleased to announce that it has been decided to proceed with the implementation of the partnering arrangement. With the formal framework now in place, the NRTA and Flagship Training can begin to develop specific proposals in respect of NRTA shore training establishments. This process is expected to take around six months to complete and the proposals that emerge will be the subject of further consultation with departmental trades unions.