§ Patrick MercerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent in the 2003–04 financial year on the training of port security officers. [165107]
§ Mr. JamiesonMy Department's Transport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) was responsible for developing the required training parameters for PFSOs and approving the training providers, TRANSEC absorbed the necessary staff costs associated with developing the regime. In addition TRANSEC is also absorbing the subsequent costs of conducting unannounced audits to ensure that the trainers are teaching the approved syllabus to the required standard.
However, industry is meeting the costs of putting individual PFSOs through the training courses. Courses generally run for three days (21 hours) and costs vary between the approved training providers; the range being £300 to £2,000 per candidate per course.
Approved training providers are listed on the Departmental website at: www.dft.gov.uk.