DEFENCE TRAINING REVIEW

That this House welcomes the announcement by the Ministry of Defence of the halt to Package Two of the Defence Training Review which sought to privatise the staff who train the armed forces in driving armoured vehicles as well as in foreign languages; further welcomes that training will therefore remain at Worthy Down and Marchwood in Winchester, Southwark Park in Portsmouth, Leconfield in Hull, Aldershot, Beaconsfield and Chicksands in Cambridgeshire; but is concerned that pushing ahead with Package One, which includes engineering and mechanical training, would represent poor value for money to the taxpayer and lead to a loss of skills vital to those on the front-line as many staff would be unable to relocate to the new national training base; and is further concerned that Package Two may be pushed through despite the evaluation that it is unaffordable for the private sector to deliver.