§ Patrick MercerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Army training regiments will accept their last infantry recruits. [53050]
§ Mr. IngramAll adult Standard Entry Infantry recruits will henceforth receive both initial and specialist training at the School of Infantry at Catterick in North Yorkshire on a combined course. Junior Entry Infantry recruits will receive their basic training at either the Army Training Regiment (ATR) at Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire or the Army Foundation College at Harrogate; they then move to Catterick for Phase 2 specialist Infantry training. It is our intention that no Infantry training will in future be carried out at other ATRs, although a number of adult Standard Entry recruits are still completing their initial training at ATR Glencorse, ATR Lichfield, ATR Pirbright and ATR Winchester.