§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 1 July,Official Report, column 37W, on RAF training (1) how many additional instructors will be required to meet the tasks transferred from RAF Church Fenton; [76575]
(2) how many qualified flying instructors and ground instructors there are in the university air squadrons; [76576]
(3) how many staff at RAF Church Fenton will be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation as a result of transferring the Joint Elementary Training School tasks to the university air squadrons; [76577]
(4) whether the cost effectiveness has been assessed of transferring the duties of the Joint Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Church Fenton to the university air squadrons. [76578]
§ Mr. IngramNo additional instructors will be required when the tasks are transferred from RAF Church Fenton as the Qualified Flying Instructors at the University Air Squadrons will absorb the task.
The total number of qualified flying instructors at the University Air Squadrons is 69. However, the additional duties of the Squadron Commanders and Chief Flying Instructors reduce the available flying training time to the equivalent of 50. There are currently no ground instructors at the University Air Squadrons.
No staff at RAF Church Fenton will be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) legislation. It is expected that their task will be absorbed into the existing arrangements for the University Air Squadrons. This means the task will be done in a different manner and location rather than simply transferring to another contractor.
Contract negotiations are still underway. The actual savings will not be known until they are complete, but significant annual savings are anticipated.
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