asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures are being taken to ensure that military doctors who are returning from operational tours with the Armed Forces and therefore have been out of hospital medicine for several years will not be disadvantaged compared to National Health Service colleagues when applying for training posts under the medical training application service. [HL3608]

The recruitment and selection into specialty training in 2007 is a fair and open competitive process based on competencies as required by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board. In order to score adequately, the applicant must provide evidence of competence relating to the skills and competencies required. The applicant must cite relevant clinical experience as part of their evidence; however, this clinical experience does not have to have been gained in a hospital.