§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the(a) contractual and (b) funding difficulties limiting the Army Training and Recruiting Agency's ability to provide trade training for vehicle mechanics; [109739]
(2) what assessment he has made of whether the contracts let for trade training by the Army Training and Recruiting Agency contain sufficient flexibility to respond to changes in demand within the contract period. [109740]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 February 2000]: The Army Training and Recruiting Agency has had no specific contractual difficulties that have limited its ability to provide trade training for vehicle mechanics. The contracts in place for this and other trade training are sufficiently flexible to allow for changes to the requirement to be made within the contract period, subject, of course, to appropriate negotiations between the contractor and the customer. There have been some difficulties in aligning available funding with the required outputs in time to produce the necessary changes to throughput in any one year. However, changes to the budget structure from this year will give the Agency greater control over this process.
§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers based at Bordon were waiting for trade training on(a) 1 February 2000, (b) 1 October 1999, (c) 1 April 1999, (d) 1 October 1998, (e) 1 April 1998, (f) 1 October 1997, (g) 1 April 1997, (h) 1 October 1996 and (i) 1 April 1995. [109736]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 February 2000]: The information is not available prior to 30 April 1997. The figures requested, since that date, are as follows:
Date Soldiers awaiting trade training 1 February 2000 154 1 October 1999 234 1 April 1999 140 1 October 1998 259 1 April 1998 189 1 October 1997 283 30 April 1997 207 These numbers represent a "snap shot" on the date in question. Numbers will vary throughout the year, but tend to be particularly high in October when students passing out from the Army Apprentice College the previous month are awaiting allocation to courses.
§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the(a) financial provision and (b) expenditure by the Army Training and Recruiting Agency on trade training for the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Bordon in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [109735]
880W
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 February 2000]: The information requested is as follows:
£000 Financial year Financial provision at current (1999–2000) prices Actual expenditure at current (1999–2000) prices 1994–95 17,497 17,298 1995–96 15,489 15,755 1996–97 17,649 18,106 1997–98 15,579 15,991 1998–99 14,681 15,248 The downward trend over the last three years is as a result of efficiencies introduced by the ATRA, which was formed in 1996. The slight overspends against provision were accommodated within the Agency's overall provision.
§ Mr. Duncan SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what increases in funding for the Army Training and Recruiting Agency to cover trade training have been requested; and what was the response. [109737]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 February 2000]: All training conducted by the Army Training and Recruiting Agency is subject to review and the outcome is taken into account in the annual planning rounds. This process is being undertaken at present and no decisions have been made.