§ Mr. Alan KeenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on joint command and staff training matters. [45105]
§ Mr. George RobertsonThe establishment of the Joint Services' Command and Staff College at its interim site at Bracknell has highlighted the considerable benefits to be had from a joint approach to command and staff training within a multinational environment. Opportunities for the common understanding of warfare and Defence as a whole are maximised. Specially selected officers have their command, analytical and communication skills tested against challenging scenarios ranging from Peace Support Operations to modern warfare. As part of our commitment to joint training, my Department has signed a PFI contract with Defence Management (Watchfield) Ltd. to build a new Joint College at Shrivenham (Watchfield) and to provide a range of facility management services. The new College is scheduled to open in September 2000.