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.