Fire Training Establishments

HC Deb 07 December 1995 vol 268 c343W

Mr. Clifton-Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all his Department's fire training establishments in the United Kingdom; how many(a) military and (b) civilian personnel are currently (i) employed and (ii) being trained at these establishments giving the duration of the training; and what have been (1) the average running costs and (2) the annual maintenance costs of each establishment in each of the last five years. [4170]

Mr. Soames

The Department's only single role fire training establishment is the MOD fire service central training establishment at RAF Manston, where there are 27 civilian and 23 military established posts. The number of personnel being trained depends on which courses are being run; this year's figures show that there have been 834 civilian and 326 military students, and since the CTE was reorganised in 1991, 3,728 civilians and 1,230 military personnel have attended courses there. The duration will depend on the course, of which there are some 20, covering every aspect of fire training. The MOD FSCTE is a lodger unit at RAF Manston, thus disaggregating the running and maintenance costs for the centre from the overall station costs can be done only at disproportionate cost.

The Department also has other training establishments where fire training can be part of the course structure. These are the school of flight deck operations at the royal naval air station Culdrose; the nuclear biological and chemical defence school at HMS Excellent; the Plymouth command NBCD school at HMS Raleigh; and the school of logistics, royal logistics training group at Deepcut. Additionally, some MOD personnel attend specialist fire safety courses at such training centres as the Home Office school at Moreton-in-Marsh.

Where active fire cover is provided at MOD establishments, facilities for continuation training are provided. Moreover, the MOD has task training integrated across the board. All military and civilian personnel are given the appropriate fire fighting training as part of the Department's duty of care.