HC Deb 25 March 2002 vol 382 cc556-7W
Mr. Lazarowicz

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training and education the UK provides to service personnel from other countries engaged in UN peacekeeping and conflict resolution initiatives. [44745]

Mr. Ingram

Training and education are provided to service personnel from other countries engaged in UN peacekeeping and conflict resolution initiatives by the United Kingdom in various ways. A one-year post-graduate course in global security and a seven-week diploma course in managing defence in a democracy are offered at the Royal College of Military Science, Shrivenham and have been developed for foreign military and civilian students as part of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Diplomacy Mission. The Army has recently commenced a series of 10-day International Peace Supporting Briefing programmes with students attending from many parts of the world. The programme includes briefing on the structure and role of the British Army, the role of Government Departments and non-governmental organisations in peace support operations (PSO), PSO doctrine, civil/military co-operation, the role of the police and equipment and training issues. However, the Royal College of Defence Studies course and the Advanced Command and Staff course syllabi also contain elements relevant to UN peacekeeping and conflict resolution and selected countries are invited to send students each year. Additionally, spare capacity on UK military training courses is offered to other countries as part of the UK MOD's Defence Diplomacy Mission. Examples of such training are as follows:

  • Initial Officer Training.
  • English Language Training.
  • First Aid and Combat Casualty Care (Royal Navy).
  • Anti-piracy—Board and Search Course (Royal Navy).
  • Combat Medical Technician (Army).
  • Regimental Medical Assistant (Army).
  • Helicopter Tactics Training (prior to Bosnia/Kosovo deployment) (Royal Air Force).

In addition to training conducted in the UK, overseas training is carried out by established British military advisory and training teams (BMATT). Most of this training is directly relevant to UN peacekeeping and conflict resolution initiatives and BMATTs are currently established in seven countries worldwide. The MOD also provides short term training teams (STTT) to supplement the training given by BMATTs or is provided for immediate local training needs in other areas of the world. Numerous STTTs are in place at any given time on deployments typically lasting for between two and six weeks.