HC Deb 26 May 1993 vol 225 c628W
Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what comparative assessment he has made of the lengths and cost of practical applications training of engineer officers for the Royal Navy if the engineering academic studies are concentrated on a civilian university.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I announced proposals on 25 May about the future of royal naval engineer officer training. These proposals are now the subject of consultation. Practical application training course lengths and the costs involved in running them will not be affected by these proposals although there will be a relocation cost which has been taken into account.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the advantages of educating and training engineer officer undergraduates for the Royal Navy in an establishment located close to a major naval base.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

As was set out in the consultation document that I placed yesterday in the Library of the House, the education and training of royal naval engineer officer undergraduates is presently undertaken by a variety of methods, in-service and by universities. There is little interaction between engineer officers reading for degrees or undertaking application training courses, and a major naval base. Ready access to the sea is, of course, an important factor in their training as naval officers.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of engineer officers in the Royal Navy do not possess an engineering degree.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Approximately 30 per cent. of engineer officers do not possess an engineering degree.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times he has visited the Royal Naval Engineering college, Manadon, Plymouth, in the past 12 months.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

None. I last visited the Royal Naval Engineering college at Manadon on 14 November 1991.

Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made regarding the costs and feasibility of transferring engineering training equipment and installations from the Royal Naval Engineering college, Manadon, Plymouth, to other establishments in the event of a decision to close the college at Manadon.

Mr. Archie Hamiliton

The proposals that I announced on 25 May were based on studies which inter alia assessed the practicalities of transferring equipment from Royal Naval Engineering college, Manadon in the event of a decision to relocate application training. Estimated costs involved would be approximately £9,000,000 and this includes costs relating to the additional building requirements at the receiving establishments.