Defence Fire Service (Hansard, 14 May 2004)

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the size is of the backlog of members of the Defence Fire Service, RAF fire-fighters and contractors' personnel from military sites for their four-yearly residential refresher training at DFS Central Training Establishment at RAF Manston. [172523]

§ Mr. Ingram
It is estimated that there are around 1,200 fire fighters whose refresher training is now overdue. This has been caused by a temporary shortage of instructors at the Defence Fire Service Training Establishment at RAF Manston, a situation we expect to remedy over the next three months.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on his Department's consideration of the option to transfer Defence Fire Service and related training from Manston to the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh. [172525]

§ Mr. Ingram
Fire fighter training is included within the scope of the Airfield Support Services Project which is seeking to establish the most cost effective method of providing airfield support, and wider fire services, without compromising operational effectiveness. We are currently in the process of reviewing the bids we have received from the competing consortia and the Public Sector Comparator. Should it be determined that the Defence Fire Services will remain within the public sector we can then reassess the position with regard to the future provision of fire fighter training.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the temporary use of the Fire Service College to clear any backlog in refresher training at the Defence Fire Service Central Training Establishment. [172526]

§ Mr. Ingram
There are no plans for the temporary use of the Fire Service College to deliver the Ministry of Defence refresher training. To provide such training at the Fire Service College would require personnel, 599W equipment and vehicles to be transferred to that location, which would then have a direct impact on other specialist fire training that is undertaken at the Defence Fire Service Central Training Establishment.