Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Thursday, 11 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 15 March 2010. It was answered by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Monday, 22 March 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

University Officer Training Corps

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had on (a) the funding and (b) the participation of students in officer training corps units at universities; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The Government fully recognise the value of the University Royal Naval Units, The Officer Training Corps, The University Air Squadrons and the Defence Training Undergraduate Scheme. They allow individuals to develop skills that are extremely valuable in a future career either within the armed forces or without.Each of the services is looking at how best to support the University Training Units; until those decisions are finalised I cannot speculate about future funding levels.No University Training Units have closed as a result of changes to funding during this financial year. Despite some reduction in attendance by Officer Cadets at University Officer Training Corps they remain oversubscribed against their establishment. The average actual strength in 2009 was around 3,500. This is against an establishment figure of 2,946.

Secondary information