§ Lord Astor of Heverasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to remedy the training issues for the Army recently identified and reported by Brigadier Mungo Melvin. [HL174]
§ Lord BachThe recent third Directorate of Operational Capability (DOC) report acknowledged the progress made, since the two earlier DOC reviews, in improving the management and care of young people in initial training. The report did, however, highlight areas for further work. These are already being addressed in an action plan drawn up by Army Training and Recruiting Agency (ATRA), which will be subject to regular monitoring. To ensure independent external assessment of the initial training system, the department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI). The MoU enables the introduction of independent inspection, reinspection and oversight of the defence learning provision. A programme of inspection will be undertaken on an annual basis and reports will be published, thus enabling training to be benchmarked against appropriate national standards.