Armed Forces: Apprentices

Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many apprentices were recruited into the Defence and Communication Services Agency technical apprenticeship scheme at (a) HMS Collingwood, (b) RAF Henlow and (c) Highbury College, Portsmouth in each year since 2003; what estimate he has made of the number of apprentices to be recruited in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg
The D E and S Information Systems and Services—formerly the Defence Communications Services Agency—ceased to recruit new apprentices at RAF Henlow and Highbury College in 2002. Since 2003, 16 Apprentices have been recruited each year for the scheme run at HMS Collingwood. Based on the estimated requirements of the D E and S Information Systems and Services, it is planned to recruit 12 new apprentices in 2007.