Examination of Witnesses (Questions 160-163)
MINISTRY OF
DEFENCE
18 FEBRUARY 2008
Q160 Mr Williams: I am sorry, I am
running out of time, but tell us a little more about these service
providers. I have not read the Report thoroughly, I must admit,
this time. What background do they have? How many of them are
there? What choices are there?
Air Commodore Miles: There are
many providers of training in this country, literally hundreds.
What we seek to do is offer Service Leavers a good choice, not
only through the Career Transition Partnership but through the
preferred suppliers list, which is a list of accredited suppliers
of quality training, value for money training, which we can recommend
for Service Leavers but we cannot compel them to use those particular
trainers. Up to a point there is an issue there of caveat emptor,
just the same as there is for anybody else purchasing training
from a provider.
Q161 Mr Williams: There are so many
of them that it is impossible to monitor them basically, is it
not? That is the reality.
Air Commodore Miles: To monitor
them all is absolutely impossible. We take action where specific
instances of poor value for money are brought to our attention
but over and above that, as I say, we seek to reduce the risk
to Service Leavers through rolling out more training through the
Career Transition Partnership and also by having a comprehensive
list of preferred suppliers on the major disciplines. We cannot
possibly cover everything to deliver that.
Sir Bill Jeffrey: The only way
we could eliminate the risk altogether would be by requiring our
people only to use those providers that are on the approved list.
Air Commodore Miles: That would
be impossible.
Q162 Mr Williams: NAO, I recognise
this is beyond the remit you were working to, is there any advice
you can give to them on how they can more effectively monitor
the suppliers? Under the arrangement at the moment it seems almost
anyone can set up and say they are a supplier and collect a fee.
Mr Burr: We certainly have done
work in other areas of control of training providers and we will
look at that and see if there is anything we can pass on.
Mr Williams: Air Commodore, if you could
let me have the information from you. Thank you very much.
Q163 Chairman: Thank you, Sir Bill.
That concludes our inquiry. Generally, you are right, it is a
good Report and things are getting better but there are some gaps,
as I think you have identified, which we may return to in our
report.
Sir Bill Jeffrey: Could I say,
Chairman, if I am allowed to, we genuinely appreciate the fact
that the Committee took the trouble to go to Aldershot and look
at it there. It was noticed and much appreciated.
Chairman: Thank you very much.
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