§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of courses run at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich, over the past two years; how many people have participated; and from which(a) services and (b) countries they came.
§ Mr. HanleyOver the past two years, 120 courses have been run at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich. There have been 2,183 participants on these courses, including 61 representatives from 30 foreign and Commonwealth countries. United Kingdom participants were from all three services, together with civilians and contractors.
§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his estimate of the costs involved in closing the Royal Naval college at Greenwich and relocating the staff college to Camberley, including the costs of redundancy and relocation expenses, and of meeting the delapidation obligations at the premises currently occupied by the Royal Naval college;
(2) what is the estimate of the potential savings to his Department which could be achieved by closing the Royal Naval college at Greenwich, taking into account the redundancy and relocation expenses (a) on the assumption that alternative uses for the current premises can be found and (b) on the assumption that no such alternative use can be found and that the costs of on-going maintenance and upkeep of the buildings will continue to be met from central funds;
(3) what estimate he has made of the feasibility and cost of maintaining two service staff colleges at Camberley and Greenwich, as against the maintenance of all three current establishments;
(4) what consideration he has given to the future uses of the buildings currently occupied by the Royal Naval college at Greenwich, and the costs involved in the upkeep and maintenance of these buildings;
(5) what estimate he has made of the feasibility and cost of locating all three service staff colleges at Greenwich in the premises currently occupied by and adjacent to the Royal Naval college.
§ Mr. HanleyI have given no formal consideration to these issues. Staff training in all three services has, however, been looked at as part of the defence costs study, but no decisions have yet been made by Ministers.
§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by his Department at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich(a) in the supervision and management of the college, (b) in teaching, study and related research activities and (c) in the provision of ancillary and support services.
§ Mr. HanleyThe figures requested are as follows:670W
Number Supervision and Management 30 Teaching, Study and related Research 99 Ancillary/Support Services 1118 1 Departmental staff plus approximately 150 civilian contract support staff.
§ Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the(a) direct and (b) indirect benefit to the United Kingdom of the attendance of overseas service personnel at courses run at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich.
§ Mr. HanleyThe direct benefit of overseas personnel attending courses at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich is the generation of valuable receipts; around £500,000 being generated during financial year 1993–94. The presence of international officers on courses run by the college also broadens the experience and understanding of all United Kingdom course members. The indirect benefits include the fostering and strengthening of our defence relations with friendly and allied countries through the useful exchanges of ideas and views with officers from other countries' armed forces.