§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding the UK will provide for the staff training course beginning in April 2003 at Liptovsky Mikulas Military Academy in Slovakia; how long the training will last; and if he will make a statement. [70055]
§ Mr. IngramThe Junior Staff Officers' Course (JSOC) (Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)) project is a joint initiative between the United Kingdom and The Netherlands, together with the Slovak Republic as the host nation. Its purpose is to set up a Regional Training Centre in Central and Eastern Europe similar to the UK initiatives at Vyskov in Czech Republic and Bucharest in Romania. The division of costs, less personnel related funding, is UK 75 per cent. and The Netherlands 25 per cent. The Netherlands will provide and fund 25 per cent. of the personnel. The Slovak Republic will provide the infrastructure, food and accommodation and some locally employed staff.
The aim of the JSOC is to provide command and staff training in English, based upon British/NATO Defence Doctrine, for Senior Lieutenants, Captains and Majors from the Partnership for Peace partners. This will enable them to participate effectively within a multinational environment in training, exercises, military operations and `operations other than war' (OOTW) operations. OOTW includes Peace Support, Humanitarian and Natural Disaster operations.
It is intended to run three courses per annum, each for up to 60 students, of approximately 12 weeks' duration. It is intended to begin the first course in late April or early May 2003.
The JSOC project is an initiative within the Outreach Programme, part of the Defence Diplomacy Mission. This programme of bilateral and multilateral defence co-operation in CEE contributes to international stability by assisting countries in the region to establish democratically accountable, cost effective armed formes capable of contributing both to national and regional security and, increasingly, to international security through participation in peach support operations.
The UK funding for this project will come from the Global Conflict Prevention Fund (GCPF)(GEE Strategy). The estimated cost to the UK in the Financial Year
276W2002–2003, including personnel, is £1.2 million as setting up costs. Running costs in subsequent years are estimated to be f1.3-£1.4 million.