15/12/2010

Ieuan Wyn Jones sits on St Athan inquiry report

We gave evidence at the Jan 2010 St athan CPO inquiry.  Ieuan Wyn Jones and WAG are still refusing to disclose the Inspector's report. Officials appear to be abusing the separation between planning decision-making and wider political or policy decisions,and their continuing refusal to disclose the Inquiry report appears to be unlawful.
WAG has still not withdraw their huge planning applications (for "Reserved Matters"), nor is there any letter in the files asking the VoG to suspend the assessment and decision.
The reply to A Freedom of Information Request  – Reference 4606 - for the inspectors report...
from a Mr James Price Head of the Infrastructure Group Department for the Economy & Transport ..
'I refer to my letter of 17 November concerning your request for information regarding the Inspector’s Report on the St Athan CPO. I regret to have to inform you that I am not yet in a position to reply to this request by the specified date of 15 December. The matter is still under consideration and therefore I am unable to let you know at this time one way or the other if the Inspector’s Report is to be released immediately. As explained previously, there are complex ramifications resulting from the MoD decision of 19 October which we are trying to understand in addressing your request for early publication of the Report. I recognise that this continuing delay may not accord with the provisions of Environmental Information Regulations 2004. I offer my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
I want to assure you that your request is under active consideration and I hope to provide you with a response to your request by 14 January if not sooner.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request
and wish to make a complaint, you should write to: Mr James Price Head of the Infrastructure Group Department for the Economy & Transport Cathays Park
Cardiff CF10 3NQ'

take St Athan in a different direction...

Cant imagine any other way Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore, Labour)

'I think we can all agree on the overriding importance that this House places on the defence training needs of the whole of the UK armed forces tri-services. In a debate last week, we tried to get an answer to the question of what is the future of the defence training academy at St Athan after the news of its cancellation, but answer came there none. Can the Minister now give us an update with some clarity on what is the future for St Athan?'

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
'The defence training requirement across the three services is being reviewed in the light of the collapse of the project at St Athan. We are identifying possible sites either for tri-service training or taking the three services separately, and we will make an announcement when we have concluded that work in the spring.'
more here

22/11/2010

CPO Inquiry Cover up

Delaying the results of the CPO Inquiry into the St Athan Defence College and aerospace business park is quite wrong. The Welsh Assembly government (WAG) claims to us (letter of 17 Nov.) that the MoD decision not to proceed with the Metrix scheme requires more time because of “complexity”.

Yet the situation is simple – WAG went to the Inquiry for Compulsory Purchase of land supposed to be ‘necessary in the public interest’ for the combined schemes. With Metrix dumped, their case has disappeared and any alternative scheme requiring CPOs would need another Inquiry.
Let’s remember, Metrix’s overblown scheme included a military museum, church and hotel, and was conceived for over twice as many trainees as eventually proposed.
Whatever future training MoD decides to bring to Barry, the CPO Inquiry does not apply. It’s quite wrong of officials to hold up the result until they can concoct a positive spin.
Because of the Red Dragon fiasco, the auditor told WAG not to commit spending relating to another MoD project, without guaranteed refund if the MoD pulled out. Yet officials spent at least £5 million** in this case on consultants, publicity and the Public Inquiry (QC and witness costs), based on the flimsy claim that the aerospace development was complimentary to the Training College. Even if the Minister has to take the rap in public, it’s his ex-WDA officials who are now covering up under the excuse of “complexity”.

18/11/2010

welsh ministers wont release Jan inquiry report

Missing St Athan CPO inquiry report!! The inquiry took place in Jan 2010 - "The Inspector has submitted his Report to the Welsh Ministers. The Report will be made public, and you will be provided with a copy as you requested, when the Welsh Ministers have considered the matter and reached their decision" was the reply in July 2010 by Manning, Sarah (DE&T- EDG - SE & Infrastructure)

Extension of time
Further to my letter of 21 October concerning your request for information regarding the Inspector’s Report on the St Athan CPO, I am writing to advise you that we are dealing with your request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and not under the Freedom of Information Act.
The Welsh Assembly Government considers that the requested information is “environmental” because the Inspector’s Report is likely to contain information on administrative measures that are likely to affect the state of the elements of the environment.
I am writing to advise you that the time limit for responding to your request for information under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, which we received on 20 October, needs to be extended.
The Regulations allow us 20 working days to respond to your request from the date of its receipt. However, it is occasionally necessary to extend the 20 working-day time limit for issuing a response. In this case, I regret that we must extend the time limit for responding by 20 days because of the complexity of the request. We are currently assessing the Ministry of Defence’s statement that St Athan remains an option for the location of future defence technical training with an announcement expected in Spring 2011; and what this means for the draft CPO.
I hope to let you have a response by 15 December.
Yours sincerely, Hitesh Vadgama South East Region Infrastructure Team
Department for the Economy & Transport

28/10/2010

St Athan Expensive runway

How much is the runway at St Athan costing to maintain? It already has cost the Welsh Assembly  £6.5 million.

The dream is over the Barry newspaper tells us...but it was always a misconceived grand new labour project ...we did keep telling you...
time for the welsh assembly to stop flogging the dead donkey/aerospace
dream and learn from the St Athan  disaster and the red dragon disaster
and stop throwing money at doomed projects. Time for the government to look at creating sustainable green jobs. Will someone tell the AMs and the staff at Plas Glyndwr Kingsway Cardiff? See their flashy website here  

18/10/2010

Welsh MPs want crooks Sodexo to run military training

Sodexo is the lead partner in the Metrix consortium


Can Taxpayers Afford Sodexo's Business Practices?
Sodexo's hundreds of millions of dollars of cost overruns in their contract with the US Marine Corps "raises serious questions," according to members of ...

Food service contractor Sodexo's unsavory practices are causing a stir.
This company recently paid a $20 million settlement for overcharging the State of New York. Sodexo's hundreds of millions of dollars of cost overruns in their contract with the U.S. Marine Corps "raises serious questions," according to members of Congress. New Jersey State Representatives have called for an investigation into the company's contracts with public schools.
With millions of tax dollars going to Sodexo, City and County Governments should audit their contracts with the company. We can't afford not to.

Despite the global financial crisis, Sodexo Inc. cleared $1 billion in profits last year, making the food service giant one of the most profitable in the world. But despite that huge profit margin, Sodexo workers earn as little as $8.27/hour, a wage low enough to qualify for food stamps. In response to rock bottom earnings and insufficient beneifts, Sodexo workers across the country have been speaking out and going on strike.
Over the last two weeks, workers have...
Weekly Workers' Round-Up: Sodexo & French Oil Strikes, Unions Get Out Vote ...
In These Times
By Alexandra Markowski Despite the global financial crisis, Sodexo Inc. cleared $1 billion in profits last year, making the food service giant one of the ...

11/10/2010

Assembly keeping mum over St Athan inquiry

Why is Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones keeping quiet about the result of the inquiry that took place in January this year 2010. This was an inquiry held by the Welsh Assembly Government yet they are waiting for the government decision on the St Athan £14bn PFI military training college. Cllr Gant has written to the first minister Carwyn Jones expressing concern about the lack of information about the outcome of the inquiry in Jan this year (2010). Residents are concerned about development outside the wire which we know are unnecessary.
Llantwit council are asking why the secrecy. Cllr John said that the result of the inquiry had been with the welsh assembly since March 26th 2010.
What happened to transparency and openness that the same politicians in the welsh assembly have boasted of in the past?


08/10/2010

Why Cost of St Athan rose to £14bn

RAF St Athan
Defence
Written answers and statements, 4 October 2010

Adrian Sanders (Torbay, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Gosport of 7 July 2010, Official Report, column 254W, on RAF St Athan, for what reason the cost of the new facilities at St Athan rose from £11 billion in February 2008 to £14 billion in July 2010; what effect the increased cost has on the assessment of the facilities' value for money; and if he will identify potential alternatives to the facilities.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 4 October 2010, c1317W)Email me when Nick Harvey speaksMost recent apperancesNumerologyFull profile ...

Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 September 2010, Hansard, columns 158-59W, to Mark Pritchard. Value for Money is tested through a comparison of the costs of the project compared to a public sector comparator; through life mechanisms for ensuring value for money such as benchmarking and market testing and an assessment of the qualitative benefits of the project. The comparisons are kept up to date and incorporate any changes that have occurred.

07/10/2010

Jeff Cuthbert gets no support for St Athan Military college from AMs

Jeff Cuthbert AM
http://www.jeffcuthbert.com/ Last Lone Voice 4 the £14bn unaffordable/unjustified COLLEGE Jeff ..keep up to date ...haven't your friends Bell Pottinger or Chris Bryant not told you...its doomed...but still a  priority for you?

Just jeff cuthbert singing praises of the academy
DadlFer Short Debate ParchueinLluoeddArfog
Respecting our Armed Forces
Jeff Cuthbert New Lab
However, while we always honour the sacrifices of the fallen and fully recognise those made by today’s serving troops, it is important that we also look at the wider role of the armed forces in modern-day society. We need to consider how we in Wales can provide for serving troops and veterans. The army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy all have a presence in Wales at locations scattered throughout the country: Cardiff, Newport, Brecon, Haverfordwest, the Isle of Anglesey, and the site of the proposed defence training academy in the Vale of Glamorgan. I am sure that we all hope that the plans for the academy go ahead in full, despite the inevitable pressures on public finances in the years ahead.
Gush..gush... get me the sick bag....has his constinuency party got a donation from Bell Pottinger? Is he gushing for Raytheon for nothing???
The proposed training academy would provide a rich environment in which those who enter the forces can train not just for their combat careers, but also for post-service careers. ...... A new academy at MOD St Athan would give us the chance to draw all this together in one place, and we must do our bit to make sure that it goes ahead.
Grovel ...grovel...Sad...

Gillan fails to support Metrix's DTI

As Cheryl Gillan has been a prominant supporter of the New Labour Metrix 314bn PFI project , her failure to mention it in her speech at the Tory Conference is highly significant.  It means the government is ready to dump Metrix!!

The two leaks to the BBC ("not this gargantuan PFI") and to the Guardian (likely to be scrapped as Metrix "has not provided what is required") have been preparing the ground. There are Welsh voices who want it scrapped - and are ready to celebrate!

Dweud y gwir am PFI, Metrix a’r Coleg Milwrol yn Sain Tathan

Dweud y gwir am PFI, Metrix a’r Coleg Milwrol yn Sain Tathan

Yn Ionawr 2007 fe gyhoeddodd San Steffan fwriad i greu coleg milwrol newydd yn Sain Tathan. Fe ddathlodd gwleidyddion Cymru'r newyddion fel un o’r pethau gorau a ddigwyddodd yng Nghymru ac i’r economi erioed, gyda deg mil o swyddi, nawr wedi’u profi'n anghywir. Fodd bynnag, bydd y prosiect hwn yn integreiddio hyfforddiant milwyr Prydeinig a hefyd yn gam tuag at breifateiddio rhyfel a militareiddio Cymru. Bydd yn ein hymrwymo am 30 mlynedd i gonsortiwm ble mae masnachwyr arfau rhyngwladol yn bartneriaid amlwg. Y mae partneriaeth Metrix yn cynnwys Cwmni Raytheon, cynhyrchwyr taflegrau Tomahawk sy’n euog o ollwng bomiau clwstwr a sieliau wraniwm hysb.  Y prif bartneriaid yw Qinetiq a Sodexo, gyda’i record dadleuol ym maes rheoli carchardai.
  
Bargen wael i’r trethdalwyr a’r costau’n cynyddu
Pan gyhoeddwyd gyntaf, cost y pecyn CYFLAWN oedd £14 biliwn. Yna hepgorwyd pecyn 2 a gostyngodd y gost i £11 biliwn. Yn 2008 cytunodd MoD i gwtogi oriau gwaith y prentisiaid 25%, ond eto cynyddodd y costau i £12 biliwn. Dywedwyd £13 biliwn mewn Ymchwiliad Cyhoeddus yn Ionawr 2010, ond nawr, yng Ngorffennaf 2010, mae’r Gweinidog Amddiffyn yn nodi £14 biliwn!

Pam nad yw’r Cynulliad a gwleidyddion Cymreig yn gwrthod Metrix?
Mae gan lawer o gwmnïau a chronfeydd pensiwn bolisïau moesegol - pam nad oes un gan y Cynulliad? Bwriad Metrix yw cynyddu eu helw drwy hyfforddi milwyr o wledydd eraill, ar wahân i Brydain.  Gallai milwyr o Bacistan, Malaysia, a gwladwriaethau mwy amheus, gael eu hyfforddi yng Nghymru. Honna gwleidyddion y Cynulliad mai penderfyniad San Steffan oedd Sain Tahan, ond llafuriodd y WDA a gweithwyr sifil yn galed i wireddu’r cynllun, gan roi pob cymorth i Metrix. Gyda’r sôn am ‘swyddi’ a buddsoddiad enfawr, twyllwyd gwleidyddion Cymru.


06/10/2010

St Athan military training academy in Wales is likely to be scrapped

Building an economy aircraft carrier could save £1bn, Cameron to ...The Guardian Tues 5 Oct 2010

......The Guardian has also learned that a £14bn PFI project – one of the largest ever – to finance a military training academy in Wales is likely to be scrapped as part of the strategic defence review, to be published later this month.


The new centre at a 1,000-acre site near Barry is intended to consolidate the three armed services' existing training facilities around the country, able to cater for up to 3,000 students at any one time.

The 30-year contract, awarded to defence firm Qinetiq and US firm Raytheon, covers staff, catering and maintenance. But the cost has already increased from the original estimate of £12bn to a figure closer to £14bn, while the government has made clear its dislike of PFI-style contracts.

One senior defence source described its future as "pretty bleak" and its fate could also be sealed at the national security council meeting. Officials say the work by the consortium – already costing the MoD more than £80m – has not provided what is required.

A spokesman for the consortium argued that it would be "illogical" to scrap the new centre because it would free up 1,200 sailors, soldiers and airmen involved in the military's existing training programme. The first aircraft carrier, which Cameron at the weekend indicated was going ahead, will initially be equipped with ageing Harriers. Each carrier was supposed to be equipped with 69 new Joint Strike Fighters, but the government could slash this number by at least half to make further savings. Each fighter is now estimated to cost at least £100m, a 50% increase, and the price is still rising.

Why has there not been open discussion and monitoring of this project by Welsh Politicians who promoted this project like lemmings even though the information was blatantly misleading.  The jobs figure was always a myth, although the 5,000 lie was repeated again and again by politicians and the media -the BBC news  just the other day.Do they never learn?


What of the Aerospace Business part of the St Athan development? Again Tens of £millions spent with no returns. The Red Dragon project, to provide MOD aircraft servicing and refits, collapsed with nothing to replace it. Gullible Ministers and over-bullish WDA. The “advanced aerospace business” park, promoted as “capable of generating several thousand skilled and high paid jobs in the long term” has dwindled to almost nothing.  Despite the recession and low-carbon economy policy, WAG at the CPO Inquiry in Janauary 2010 was still banking on expanding “aerospace” - a term covering military hardware – including exports from the likes of Raytheon and Qinetiq.

Information on latest WAG spending from a Freedom of Information Request 30th Sept
Perhaps WAG could stop wasting money -Total £5,306,772.81 - Spending on Consultants and companies on the gravy train!! Not including WAG staff costs etc.
St Athan Development Scheme *
Expenditure on External Advisers & Services - 1st April 2007 to 30th June 2010
Avionic Services , W.S. Atkins - Bay Associates - Capita - David Clements - Ecology -
Environment Agency - Enquinn Environmental - Enviros - Geldards - Halcrow - D & S -
Drivas Jonas - King Sturge - Bruton Knowles - Lewis & Lewis - MBP Marketing
- Mott Macdonald - MSS Consulting - OPUS - Parsons Brinckerhoff -
A. Porten - Production Support - Ramboll - Watts & Morgan - Welsh Water -
Western Power - White Young Green - Willdig Lamie - RG & RB Williams - 3Di

"Exclusive of Vat" Where Applicable.
* Aerospace Business Park & Defence Technical College Associated Assembly Government Costs

Question 3 In addition the same document talks of `in order to prepare and progress this Development Brief, a series of working groups has been established under a joint steering group consisting of Vale of Glamorgan officers, and representatives of WAG, Education and Learning Wales (ELWa), and Metrix. These Working Groups have been meeting regularly and have discussed planning, transportation, training, and quality of life issues in the context of the St Athan proposals.' Who are these representatives of WAG and who is paying them?
Response
These working groups were established during the early part of 2006 specifically to help with the preparation of the St Athan Development Brief and to support the case for St Athan as the location of choice for the MoD DTR programme. These working groups no longer exist.
Representatives of the Assembly Government who attended these working group meetings were either permanent senior officials from the relevant departments such as the Head of Transport or relevant officials from partner public agencies such as the WDA Project Director, WDA Head of Planning, WDA Project Manager, WDA Senior Roads Engineer, ELWA Head of Skills Development. These officials were paid by their respective employers, the Assembly Government, WDA or ELWA.
Some of these working groups included external professional advisers retained and paid by the Assembly Government to advise on master planning as outlined in Appendix 1.

04/10/2010

Alun Cairns & St Athan Option

Alun Cairns wrote the St Athan option would save the taxpayer £500m over 30 years (MP’s column Barry & District News, September 23), but can’t give any evidence.  In fact, the £500m figure was first given by Metrix.  All evidence from the £3bn rise since Feb. 2008 or £2bn rise since Sept. 2008 is that the Metrix price is now a £bn or two higher than the MoD’s internal option.
  • Alun wrote he believes the PFI has good military reasons.  Yet no-one can say what the training needs will be until the defence review is completed.  There are good reasons for NOT signing up to a contract when amounts and types of training will change substantially.   Training courses will be disrupted by the move, partly because staff will take redundancy rather than transfer. 
  • Alun like most other Welsh politicians claim it’s highly important economically for Wales.  Yet it’s been highly exaggerated.  It’s a small College (2000-2500 places) and less investment than Cardiff’s new shopping development.  The adjacent aerospace development (the Minister wrongly claimed 'synergy') has collapsed, with firms foced to relocate on the site deciding instead to move elsewhere.
  •  Politicians claim ‘overwhelming’ support from Welsh people.  Yet many local people are critical and the public inquiry showed well-argued cases for changes. 
  • Alun will take along Cllr Jeffrey James, who got a lot of criticism for railroading the project through Committee.  As Chairman Cllr James organised a presentation just before the formal Planning Committee from which objectors were excluded, then pushed the Committee to a quick vote ('Rubber stamped' reported the Glamorgan Gem) without considering the alternatives proposed by local residents and Community Councils.
Like other mega PFIs in Defence procurement, this one will be shown to be excessively costly.  There is now momentum for integrating training across the services – savings will go ahead once Metrix withdraws.  Like the BBC’s informant, we see that St Athan may still have a role but “not the gargantuan PFI. And Peter Collins and BBC please stop repeating the lie that there will be 5,000 jobs.

30/09/2010

Who wants Sodexo in Wales?

Sodeo is a lead member of the Metrix consortium - Welsh MPs are lobbying for them to come to Wales in a £14bnt PFI

Email Sodexo - Tell Them to Respect Workers in the Dominican Republic and ...
SEIU (blog) From school cafeterias in the US to mines in Latin America, Sodexo aggressively fights workers who organize to get a better life. Today, workers and their ...
Sodexo leading St AthanPFI Email them Tell Them to Respect Workers in the Dominican Republic and around the World http://bit.ly/9BMNRm

Jobs promised at St Athan
Most of the 3000 claimed are for transferees. The breakdown given at the public inquiry last January shows 1200 military staff (including 500 non-project staff) and just 1800 civilian jobs. These include 1200 managers, contractor personnel and trainer staff transferring from existing English bases

Politicians have ignored the many job-seeking spouses and family members arriving with the 2400 transferees. These job-seekers (estimated at 1200 to1900) far outnumber the few hundred available jobs in cleaning, maintenance, transport and catering (up to 600).
That why we say the promise of jobs was not just exaggerated, but is illusory.

News from cosford

News - A Welcome Boost for Cosford
Today’s edition of the Shropshire Star reports that plans to move defence training to South Wales could now be axed. Union officials have welcomed the news and the boost it gives to RAF Cosford’s chances of survival as a military base:
A Government source has said the £14 billion private finance initiative project, awarded by the Labour administration, is unlikely to be given the green light by the present Conservative/Lib Dem coalition because of the huge costs.
It opens up the possibility of studies for a much lower cost replacement which could mean a reprieve for RAF Cosford and secure its future. Mr O’Harney said they believed the programme for the new facility at St Athan had been flawed since its inception.
He said the cost of the facility had soared from £11bn to £14bn in the space of three years.

The source said: “The logic for something on that site remains compelling. The model does not. It’s not impossible that something will go ahead – but it won’t be a gargantuan PFI.”
St Athan has been viewed as vulnerable as the coalition is keen to axe £20bn of defence contracts structured as PFIs – and the St Athan project is not yet under contract.
The full article can be viewed here

21/09/2010

Kirsty Williams St Athan dinner for Metrix

Kirsty Williams - enjoying power
Kirsty as leader of the Welsh LibDems enjoyed the Conference limelight.

Taking up the message "let's enjoy power", Kirsty sponsored a dinner for Metrix (alias Sodexo-Qinetiq) to introduce them to key LibDems.   Danny Alexander and Nick Harvey were on the initial invitation list, just the Ministers who are to take a decision on the £14 billion project.  The dinner list that Metrix wanted was amazingly brazen:

But the list leaked out, none of the people in government were allowed to attend.  Can we hope the nosh was enjoyed, courtesy of Metrix, though by lesser politicians

What sort of values has Kirsty Williams who is enjoying the Conference limelight? But sponsoring a dinner for Metrix (alias Sodexo-Qinetiq) to give them access to Danny Alexander and Nick Harvey, just the Ministers who are to take a decision on the St Athan Metrix PFI for military training @ £14 billion.Isn't Kirsty coy about her dinner invitees, replete with Lib-Dems enjoying power:
# Danny Alexander MP + Julia Goldsworthy (Spad)
# Nick Harvey MP
# Jenny Willott MP
# James McGrory and Polly MacKenzie (No 10 Policy Unit)
# Chris Saunders (Spad to Nick Clegg).
Kirsty Williams should have listened to Vince Cable now silenced.
Kirsty Williams spech to Lib Dem conf "I will always speak up for Wales and I will always speak up for my beliefs and my values. Now, he may be a saint, but when Vince Cable, before the election, decided to commit our party to cutting the proposed military college at St Athan in South Wales, he soon learnt of my determination to fight for the best deal for Wales and the best defence for the UK .
For that project has been identified by the MoD’s strategic defence review as critical to our military capability. And when we know that money is tight, we Liberal Democrats understand that it is the cancelation of Trident that will make projects like St Athan possible. That is an argument that I know we are winning in the country and it is one we must win in Government. "

Has Kirsty read that Peter Luff, minister for defence support and technology, said it was ‘clear that mistakes in defence procurement have been made in the past’ but the current government would ensure future contracts were better managed and provided better value for money. They must take another look at the finances and flawed business for the St athan PFI where costs have soared to £14bn. Yes - MoD ‘did not understand costs of PFI deal’ Ministry of Defence officials did not understand the costs involved when they launched their largest Private Finance Initiative project, a damning report by the Public Accounts Committee has found. Have we the same officals working on St Athan and the Metrix deal?
They also used a defective comparison with public funding for the £10.5bn future strategic tanker aircraft (FSTA) project – which provides in-air refuelling for military aircraft. The deal took nine years to negotiate and failed to provide value for money. The 27-year contract was signed in 2008 with the Air Tanker consortium, which owns the refuelling aircraft and makes them available as needed.

When will you meet us Kirsty?

Private Eye has more news of the Metrix PR assault  this week and we say hello to Citigate another PR firm joining the offensive who have worked with lead partner Qinitiq who ripped off the taxpayer. See also

The truth from Vince Cable before he was silenced!
BBC NEWS Cable says scrap defence .15 Sep 2009 ... Vince Cable said the £13bn project was too costly ... thousands of jobs in south Wales should be scrapped, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman has said. Dr Vince Cable MP said the £13bn to set up the St Athan project ...
 Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable has identified the Training College, due to open in St Athan in 2014, as one project that should be ...

15/09/2010

Kirsty Williams hosts Bell Pottinger dinner for access

we don't have anything like the resources that Bell Pottinger for Metrix has Lib Dems and cash for access and St Athan Metrix PFI military training college. The Welsh Lib-Dems first supported this PFI project on the narrow grounds of "jobs" in Wales, but now Kirsty Williams is hosting a dinner at the Lib-Dem conference next week for Metrix to give this private company access to the Ministers, Dennis Anderson and Nick Harvey.
probable attendees at the Lib-Dem dinner on 19th Sept.
# Danny Alexander MP and Julia Goldsworthy (Special Adv)
# Nick Harvey MP
# Jenny Willott MP for Cardiff Central
# James McGrory and Polly MacKenzie (No. 10 Policy Unit)
# Chris Saunders (Special Advisor to Nick Clegg)
The two Ministers are engaged in the review of this £14 billion project, so dining with Metrix should surely be out.There’s every reason to avoid a 30-year long PFI. This one has inflated £3billion (up from £14 billion) in price during negotiation and shrunk in size from 6000 to 2700 trainee places. It’s clearly a case for fundamental review against alternative integration of training on existing MoD bases (the PCS union says it could be accommodated on two bases, or even one if the Defence Review cuts standing forces by 20 or 25%). Nick Harvey’s answer in the Commons 5th July “to change course now would undo a great deal of investment… and add considerably to the final cost” sounded like Metrix’s case and gives no confidence of a genuine review.

Private Eye piece disclosing the lobbying campaign targeted at Welsh Lib-Dems as a route through to the Defence Minister - which appears to have succeeded.

31/08/2010

Bell Pottinger ghosted article


St Athan defence college would be good for Wales propaganda 

DEFENCE Secretary Liam Fox is no doubt embroiled in “interesting discussions” with colleagues at the Treasury over whether the coalition Government will commit to a new single-location training facility for the Armed Forces in the Vale of Glamorgan.Read
I would point out this is not "breaking news" but an opinion piece ghosted by a journalist and originating from the PR company Bell Pottinger on behalf of Metrix.  It was placed in "business" columns to answer a properly reported piece in the news columns of the same paper a week ago.
It uses this cover to attack Plaid Cymru and their elected MEP and Assembly Members.
We expect the PR company is mis-using Wales on line Website to get the case for their Client through without attribution.  This strategy was disclosed by Private Eye 4 August issue.
Massive PR campaign to save Defence Training College (DTC)
Documents leaked to Private Eye disclose a “massive PR campaign” using PR company Bell Pottinger “appealing to the baser instincts of influential parliamentarians”.   [Private Eye, 4th August:  Defence PFI “In a Spin”]

This started with “congratulation letters”, drafted by Bell Pottinger to the re-elected MPs, followed by “message development” setting out that “there would be a series of good news events eg openings year by year  to 2015 if DTC goes ahead… (But) there would, be contrast, be a considerable backlash in Wales if it did not”.  Supportive Lib Dems in Wales were targeted as “a route through to David Laws and Nick Harvey”.

Nick Harvey is Lib-Dem armed forces Minister and David Laws, replaced by Danny Alexander, is Lib-Dem Treasury Minister.

A subtle media campaign was also on the cards, say Private Eye: “Background meetings only – no on the record sources… with a selection of senior commentators/financial specialists”.

Recently MP Chris Bryant took £2,500 from Bell Pottinger...


Worry at massive St Athan cost rise‎
WalesOnline - James McCarthy - 20 Aug 2010
QUESTIONS have again been raised over the future of St Athan's defence training college after it emerged costs have rocketed by £3bn in two and a half years ...

29/08/2010

Metrix Mouthpiece

Metrix mouthpiece = article fronted by Sion Barry in the Western Mail of 27 August St Athan defence college would be good for Wales – and UK taxpayers Aug 27 2010 by Sion Barry,

 Numbers of Trainees.....Metrix has been briefing MPs on 20,000 trainees per year, as the trainee places have shrunk from 6000 to 2700.  Thus courses shortened to 5 or 6 weeks average.  The Western Mail equates 20,000 short-term stayers to a town like Risca, but a large Butlins holiday camp is a better analogy.  Like at Butlins most of the food and other supplies come from far away, and most of the leisure activities are on-site, while employment for locals is in cleaning, security and maintenance.

 Value for Money

Metrix mouthpiece says “inflation has pushed the cost of the project slightly northwards” instead of 30% upwards, to still claim £500M saving over the alternative.  There is no updated financial assessment – the Minister gave £400M more to use the Cosford, Blandford and Gosport sites, with upgraded facilities (2008 Private Eye). Now, with reduced numbers, only two sites would be needed and their cost has inflated perhaps by 10%, so could be £1500-2000M cheaper. The saving through some “1000 military personnel being released back to active duties” comes under any integrated training option (the MoD says 1200 saving).

 

What alternative ?

Metrix mouthpiece says “the upkeep of its aging existing facilities across nine sites”, but the specialist ‘Package 2’ training is remaining within MoD, while the ‘Package 1’ affects 9 sites and allows 2 to be vacated.  Depending on the forces reductions in the Defence Review, Package 1 training would be accommodated on one or both of Cosford or Blandford, plus Gosport Navy training that is to be retained till 2020 or longer in all options.

 

What prospects for WAG’s Aerospace Business Park ?

Metrix mouthpiece says it is hoped “to leverage significant investment from its close proximity to the college – a gross value added of more than £500m annually would be generated”.  This is repetition of the WDA’s failed speculations.  They used to claim “synergy” with DARA, then “complementary” to the Training College , and here only ‘proximity’.  

… aerospace in recession;   no longer in favour with WAG’s low carbon transition.

27/08/2010

worry at massive price rise

Worry at massive St Athan cost rise‎
WalesOnline - James McCarthy - 20 Aug 2010
QUESTIONS have again been raised over the future of St Athan's defence training college after it emerged costs have rocketed by £3bn in two and a half years ...

20/08/2010

Question over St Athan plan as costs rise £3bn

Question over St Athan plan as costs rise £3bn Article by James McCarthy Western Mail today It doesn't say that Chris Bryant MP continues to lobby for the Metrix PFI having been paid £2,500 so far by Bell Pottinger their PR firm. And he gets a free dinner - Chris is hosting a dinner for Metrix at his party conference!

19/08/2010

Huge Metrix Bell Pottinger PR machine

Private Eye has an article today highlighting how much of a fan of the £14bn Metrix project is Chris Bryant labour MP! This new college is now to have many fewer trainees than first expected down to 2,500 and just a few hundred jobs not the 5,000 he continues to claim!! And now we know why as he had a nice cheque for £2,500 from Bell Pottinger lobby group for Metrix  (Raytheon, Serco, Quinetiq, Sodexo/Kalyx) "However money in the shape of the imminent strategicc defence and security review rather than common sense is the biggest threat to the contract prompting Metrix to launch a public relations campaign of military proportions  through PR advisor Bell Pottinger." from private eye 20 Aug - 2 Sept!

We have also heard that a new all party parliamentary group pro Metrix has been sponsored by Chris Bryant of course and Tory MP Alun Cairns!

And then theres the Party conferences happy to take funding and a free dinner from anyone it seems. Metrix are busy organising invites to conference dinners! Kirsty Williams Lib Dem leader seems happy to host a dinner on Metrix behalf. Jenny Willott Lib Dem MP Cardiff Central is one of the first to be invited to the Metrix conference dinner on the 19th July at the lib dem conference in Liverpool. Others on the invite list are Nick Harvey MP, Danny Alexander MP and his special adviser Julia Goldsworthy who as a fromer MP spent over a grand on a rocking chair! 
No money spared from the pro metrix lobby! Where are the democrats?

We are not surprised Chris Bryant Lab MP will be hosting a METRIX dinner at the Labour conference in Manchester or that Alun Cairns MP will be hosting a METRIX dinner at the Tory conference!   

This whole project should be rejected given the huge cost and the fact it is a PFI with no flexibility plus outdated planning for a massive college which isn't needed now the number of trainees is greatly reduced and could be catered for elsewhere in existing military bases such as Cosford. And there is the risk to our forces whose training will suffer at the hands of Metrix members Raytheon and Serco who have just been booted off a huge immigration contract because they were unfit for the job!

05/08/2010

New St Athan Defence Training College Planning Applcation

big planning application gone in 26th July to the Vale of Glamorgan Council on the
details for the DTC from Metrix (includes Raytheon) and Sodexo whose subsidiary Kalyx runs Harmondsworth
Seems they plan to rush it through in the office (delegated
powers) but Cllrs can call it to planning cttee (in Sept.).
Application number : 2010/00707/RES
Defence Technical College : Zone 6 Picketston South, MOD St Athan Metrix UK Ltd. and Sodexo Ltd.
Metrix UK Ltd. and Sodexo Ltd Details here

VoG officer to contact Mr. S. J. Ball 01446 704602 email SJBall@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
Attachment Name Created Date Who are they planning to consult?...No Consultations found for this Application just a mention of neighbours on Picketston Close...!! This is a huge mistake given that it is an extravance the country can't afford and can not be justified1 See article from Eye below! 

PR loads of taxpayers money bonanza see table!
Metrix and sodexo give there address as 10, Great George Street, 2nd Floor, London. W1P 3AE
Application Form, Supporting Letter and List of Documents 27/07/2010

Planning Statement (incl. detailed explanation of submissions) 27/07/2010

Plan illustrating Reserved Matters Zones 27/07/2010

Location and Layout Plans 27/07/2010

Picketston Sport Building - Plans 27/07/2010

General Arrangement Plan 1 (including landscaping) 27/07/2010

General Arrangement Plan 2 (including landscaping) 27/07/2010

General Arrangement Plan 3 (including landscaping) 27/07/2010

General Arrangement Plan 4 (including landscaping) 27/07/2010

General Arrangement Plan 5 (including landscaping) 27/07/2010

12/07/2010

A proper review needed!

Questions on the Metrix project at St Athan.

We engaged in the Public Inquiry in January/February this year, so have up-to-date information..Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat) - the  Minister's answers on 5th July do not give us confidence that he is undertaking a proper review.

Questions the minister needs to answer as the Minister's answers on 5th July do not give us confidence that he is undertaking a proper review.

a) “obvious synergy” with other work at St Athan
b) “add considerably to the final cost”.

# Has he up-to-date cost estimates for a scaled-down College for 2700 trainees (given at the Public Inquiry in January) or for 2000 Trainee places (possible figures after the Strategic Defence Review)?

# Could he give a breakdown of MOD expenditure to date towards the Metrix development, both as capital, for re-design and preparation of new courses and towards site preparation costs?


Note - At the public inquiry, the Welsh government was unable to justify synergy with the training project;

  •  they did claim synergy between the Aerospace Business Park and the Red Dragon aircraft refitting and maintenance
  •  there’s none with the Training College , just providing security and Service Families accommodation for staff seconded to the training function
  • the “superhangar” built for servicing large aircraft is to be converted to create the College, so new hangars have to be built for future ABP servicing contracts
  • the aeroengine testing facility has to be closed as too noisy near the College, and would have to be re-built elsewhere
  • The Training project has been scaled down from 6000 trainees to 2700 (at the Inquiry) and 2000-2200 after expected SDR cuts.
  • Much of the £830M capital cost would be saved by using existing bases (including £370M on new accommodation at St Athan) and upgrading existing sports, eating and admin facilities (see attache jpg image).
  • little MOD money has been spent, apart from ~ £60M to Metrix to cover course redesign and office costs (not be lost if they sited the training elsewhere). £60M capital costs have been authorised shared 50/50 with WAG, but only design and consultancy parts of this have been spent; the major roads contracts have not been let.

09/07/2010

Newspapers near the Blandford and Cosford Camp

Newspapers near the Blandford Camp: - it's future looks very dicey once it loses the training to St Athan.  This Royal Signals  base is close to the Minister Nick Harvey's constituency and  the MOD is sensitive to rumours of its closure. 
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk

Crucial to write to the papers so email for example Shropshire Star covers Cosford
StarMail – Letters to the Editor: starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk

Express and Star
Letters to the Editor for publication: letters@expressandstar.co.uk

Western Mail max 150 words
readers@walesonliine.co.uk

The £billions creep up



7th July 2010  Caroline Dinenage (Gosport, Conservative) asks a question re the cost of St Athan PFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of the proposed private finance initiative project for the Engineering Training School at RAF St Athan over the next 30 years.
Photo of Nick Harvey
Nick Harvey (Minister of State (Armed Forces), Defence; North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
holding answer 5 July 2010
The current estimate of the cost of Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 project is £14 billion. This represents the cost for the provision of the construction of new facilities at St Athan and the whole operating costs for the entire 30 year life of the project. These operating costs include staff, catering and maintenance costs, themajority of which we already carry today.
....When first announced, the FULL training package was announced as £14 billion.Then Package 2 was cut out and it shrunk to £11 billion.
In 2008, the MOD agreed to shrink the trainee contact hours by 25%, but still the cost crept up to £12 billion. 
Late in 2009, the sum of £13 billion was mentioned and used at the January 2010 Public Inquiry. 
Now on their website (www.metrix.uk.com), we see £13.5 billion over 30 years. Now Nick Harvey says £14bn! 

In 2008, there was only a few £100 million between the Metrix deal and the public sector comparator. £2.5 billion later, what is now the difference? 
No surprise that the MOD officials are telling the Minister not to bother with a proper review of alternatives! 

Remember that on 
Friday, October 31, 2008
lib Dem then shadow Defence Secretary Nick Harvey was even more outraged about MoD PFI projects, accusing the MoD of wasting millions of pounds in defence PFI deals. He said "This report shows that the Governments blind faith in PFI projects is leading to millions of pounds being lost in inefficiencies. 
"PFI projects should only be used where they can be clearly proved to provide the best value for money.