Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will examine the potential savings from unifying basic training for all armed services.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to examine the unification of basic training across the three Services.

The three Services have unique identities and make unique contributions to Defence which are reflected in their distinctive approaches to training. However, where possible, Defence strives to identify and assess opportunities for joint training efficiencies while still fulfilling individual Service requirements; the Defence Technical Training Change Programme is a good example of a collaborative effort that is seeking to make efficiencies from previously separate single Service technical training activities, managed by a single Defence College for Technical Training.