Royal Defence Academy (Hansard, 20 December 1968)

§ Mr. Reynolds

As announced in the Supplementary Statement on Defence Policy, 1968 economic developments and changes in the size and shape of the forces have led the Government to conclude that the cost of setting up a Royal Defence College as a single establishment could not be justified in the present economic climate. However, the three Services are developing their plans to improve the education of young officers within a federated Royal Defence Academy which will exercise a central academic control. This will be done partly by sending young officers to Universities and partly by educating and training others at Service Colleges within the Royal Defence Academy.

To advise me on these proposals, I am setting up an Academic Advisory Council which will include individuals who have already rendered valuable service in advising us on the problems of educating Service Officers. I am glad to say that Dr. F. A. Vick, Vice Chancellor of the Queen's University, Belfast, and Chairman of the Naval Education Advisory Committee, has agreed to become Chairman of the new Council. We are still approaching other proposed members of this body.

The R.N. and the Army will continue their existing schemes to enable young officers to study at universities in the United Kingdom. Additionally the Navy are planning to build on the foundation of the year's academic instruction at present given at Dartmouth at the conclusion of sea-time as a midshipman. It is hoped to arrange with a particular university to integrate this year, for those officers who reach the requisite standard, into a three year degree course. The Army intend to incorporate a year's academic training in a revised Sandhurst Syllabus and to make a similar arrangement with a university. The detailed implementation of their schemes will differ in certain respects, in order to achieve 493W the optimum sequence of academic education and professional training in a Service environment, in conformity with the requirements of each Service.

In the light of the need for continuity in flying training, and the flying careers of young officers of the General Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force, it is desirable that they should complete their academic education before entry. The Royal Air Force has therefore decided to move to an all-graduate direct entry to the General List (i.e. officers with full career commissions) of all the main officer branches. We aim to do this by increasing the numbers of graduates recruited direct into the Service and by increasing the number of University Cadetships. By these means, we hope that over the next three years we shall succeed in obtaining enough graduate entrants to enable us to dispense with the traditional Cranwell cadet entry. In the interim, those cadets entering Cranwell who are able and willing to go on to a university will be given a special academic course to help them to obtain places at universities and colleges after one year at Cranwell. Those who stay on at Cranwell will nevertheless not suffer in their careers by comparison with their colleagues who go to university.

The new policy does not mean that there will be no place for the able young officer who does not want, or cannot get, a university place. He will continue to be able to come into the Royal Air Force through a Supplementary List commission, from which, as now, there will be full opportunities to transfer to a General List permanent commission. We envisage that some 40 per cent. of the General List will come from this source. The R.A.F. will therefore continue to be a service open to the talented from every source.

With the disappearance of the cadet entry, Cranwell will enter upon a new role as the post-graduate professional training college of the Royal Air Force. Its importance to the R.A.F. will thus continue undiminished.