§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals within the teaching and management staff of the Department of Specialist Ground Training (air force) and comparable training establishments within the Army and Royal Navy are members of professional engineering institutions; and if he will identify those roles which require individuals to be chartered engineers. [106424]
§ Mr. SpellarThe number of individuals within the teaching and management staff of the Department of Specialist Ground Training who are members of professional engineering institutions is 34. The number of posts which require individuals to be chartered engineers is two.
Based on current information supplied by the Army, the number of individuals within the teaching and management staff at the Royal School of Military Engineering at Chatham and Minley (plus associated schools) who are members of professional engineering institutions is 13, and there are nine posts/roles that require chartered engineers. At the Royal Electrical and 65W Mechanical Engineers Training Group at Arborfield and Bordon, the figures are respectively 72 and seven. At the Royal School of Signals, Blandford, the figures are 12 and zero respectively.
The Royal Navy do not hold figures on the number of teaching and management staff at RN engineering training establishments who are members of professional engineering institutions. RN training is designed to enable individuals to qualify for the relevant engineering institution. Membership of institutions is encouraged and supported, but it is currently up to each individual whether he or she applies for membership.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the compatibility of armed services engineering training courses validation and quality procedures with those of higher education colleges. [106428]
§ Mr. SpellarWherever possible, Armed Forces engineering courses are linked to civilian academic or vocational qualifications. Where such qualifications are awarded, in addition to the individual Service's own validation and quality procedures, the training is also subject to validation by the appropriate civilian body in the same way as equivalent qualifications awarded by higher education colleges and universities. This validation is extensive and can include, for example, in the case of NVQs, external verification and inspection by awarding bodies, National Training Organisations (NTOs) and/or the standard setting bodies of the industry concerned, the Training Standards Council and the local TEC.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to offer training courses in engineering to private sector businesses. [106426]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Armed Forces already offer places on their engineering training courses to private sector business, by offering available spare capacity, wherever possible. To reduce the overhead costs of training, the three Service Training Agencies are continuously seeking to develop these opportunities further.