Defence and Communications Services Agency

Mr. Bellingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 30 April 2007, Official Report, column 1461W, on the Defence and Communications Services Agency, for what reasons the schemes that trained in a commercial environment through civilian technical colleges were transferred to HMS Collingwood; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg
In 2002, a review of DCSA Apprentice Training recommended the letting of a single out-sourced contract to replace the existing schemes based at the DCSA Training Centre Henlow and Bedford College (part in-house, part contracted out) and at Highbury College Portsmouth (contracted out). An Investment Appraisal concluded that a single outsourced model offered the Agency more flexibility to determine the size of future apprentice intake and also offered long term financial savings. Following Management Board approval, my endorsement of the proposal in December 2002, and TU Consultation, an Invitation To Tender (ITT) was, therefore, issued. Flagship Training, based at HMS Collingwood won the competition.