Private Eye on Metrix subsidy

Soon after one half of private consortium Metrix dropped out of the beleaguered PFI Deal to privatise military training because of escalating costs (before the contract is even signed), defence secretary John Hutton has quietly sanctioned a further £40 million in “risk reduction activity”.

This is shorthand for a subsidy to Metrix, led by the privatised defence technology firm Qinetiq which has admitted it will be in deep doo-doo without the contract. The company has already been given £9m but now needs more to “mature the deal and maintain the mobilisation of Metrix resources.”

The MoD had been hoping to keep the sweetener quiet, paying lip service to parliamentary niceties through an “unnumbered command paper” with out any announcement. But Tory MP Mark Pritchard, arch-opponent of the deal, spotted it and has filed an objection. So much for slipping the deal through on the quiet.

Reminder of Qinetiq history

The privatisation of the UK's QinetiQ was undermined by "profiteering" on the part of its management, the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts has concluded.http://www.janes.com/news/defence/business/jdi/jdi080610_1_n.shtml

Sir John Chisholm, chairman of QinetiQ - and also chairman of the Medical Research Council - and Graham Love, the chief executive, turned investments of £129,000 and £108,000 into assets worth £22m and £18m respectively when the firm was floated in 2006.

At the same time Carlyle, the private equity group, which bought a stake in QinetiQ for £42m in 2003, was able to sell at a £300m profit three years later.

Who is WAG welcoming to wales?
Since his resignation as DOD’s Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Cambone has been vice president for strategy of a company known as QinetiQ (pronounced “kinetic”) North America, a major British-owned defense and intelligence contractor based in McLean, Virginia.

PM gives no assurances on St Athan

John Smith MP meets the PM to discuss the defence training academy at St Athan reports Barry and District News on the 26^th Jan on the same day as The Times reports that PFI schemes worth hundreds of millions of pounds for roads, waste plants, hospitals and defence projects are now under threat because the banks are reluctant to lend money.

The future of major PFI projects, such as the Defence Training Review in which QinetiQ has a major stake, is uncertain while credit markets are frozen say the Investors Chronicle

The National Audit Office (NAO) is considering opening an investigation into the QinetiQ-led project, which is the largest PFI in British history.

MP Mark Pritchard said that the DTR is "a privatisation too far". He said a key driver of rising costs - which went from GBP11 billion to GBP12 billion - and increasing delays was the need to build an infrastructure, including transport links, at RAF St Athan in Wales, which is where the project is bas

John Smith MP has failed to get any assurances from Gordon Brown or the Government that the £12billion and rising Defence Technical Academy at St Athan will be able to proceed.

Vale MP meets the PM 12:40pm Monday 26th January 2009

VALE of Glamorgan MP, John Smith, discussed the strategic importance of the multi-billion pound Defence to the UK economy with the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, when they recently met in 10 Downing Street. Following their meeting John Smith said: “The Prime Minister recognised that this project is of national importance. "It will equip our armed forces with the best training in the world, greatly expand our skills base, create thousands of jobs and will in future years achieve significant savings for the British taxpayer.” http://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/latestnews/4067236.Vale_MP_meets_the_PM/20412

MP supports St Athan jobs Jan 27 2009 by Lisa Jones, South Wales Echo

VALE of Glamorgan MP John Smith has been seeking assurances from the Government about the future of aircraft repair jobs. Mr Smith was speaking at the inquiry into the Defence Support Group (DSG) and the progress made since the amalgamation of the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) and the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) in April 2008.

The chief executive of DSG, Archie Hughes, told the committee that work for St Athan was being actively sought for beyond 2014, when its maintenance of the VC10 aircraft is due to end.

Mr Smith, a member of the committee, said: “The workers at the St Athan site have some of the most highly prized set of technical skills in the aerospace engineering world. “I have no doubt whatsoever that the arrival of the Defence Technical Academy at St Athan can only work in favour of DSG St Athan winning new aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul work.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/01/27/mp-supports-st-athan-jobs-91466-22785475/

FTSE 350: Aerospace & Defence
Investors Chronicle, UK - 19 Jan 2009 The annual round of defence spending in the US and the UK will be a focus of anxiety for UK-listed companies over the next 12 months, as governments on both sides of the Atlantic grapple with growing budget deficits….

Efforts to close a yawning £2bn hole in the UK defence budget will dominate the year and this could see several projects either mothballed or delayed. The Ministry of Defence has already put back the delivery date of its new aircraft carriers by two years, and the future of major PFI projects, such as the Defence Training Review in which QinetiQ has a major stake, is uncertain while credit markets are frozen.

…

http://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/MarketsAndSectors/Sectors/article/20090119/0bc86472-dbef-11dd-bd75-00144f2af8e8/FTSE-350-Aerospace--Defence.jsp

Labour forced to call for help as building programme stalls
Times Online, UK - 25 Jan 2009
PFI schemes worth hundreds of millions of pounds for roads, waste plants, hospitals and defence projects are now under threat because the banks are ...

UK's Defence Training Review is nearing collapse, warns MP
Jane's, UK - 31 Dec 2008
By Gerrard Cowan The UK's GBP12 billion (USD18 billion) Defence Training Review (DTR) is on the verge of collapse due to a "triple whammy of rising costs, ...

French caterer to run Military Training!

The Financial Times report that a French Company Sodexo are a likely to replace Land Trillium as an equity partner in the Metrix consortium. Sodexo are already part of the consortium, responsible for providing services such as servicing and cleaning. Both Qinetiq and Sodexo declined to comment whether they were involved in such discussions:

By Sylvia Pfeifer, Defence Industries Correspondent
Published: January 17 2009 02:00 | Last updated: January 17 2009 02:00
Sodexo, the French contract caterer, is in advanced talks with Qinetiq, the lead contractor on a £12bn plan to centralise the military’s training, to help it take the project forward, the Financial Times has learnt.

The Defence Training Review, the UK’s largest private finance initiative, will centralise all non-military technical training for army, navy and air force personnel in one academy in Wales.
However, the 25-year programme, which had been battling cost increases, suffered a big setback in December when the outsourcing arm of Land Securities, the property company, wi thdrew from the process.

Land Securities Trillium and Qinetiq had been the two sole equity partners in the Metrix consortium which was awarded the contract to build and run the academy in January 2007. Qinetiq said at the time that Land Securities was withdrawing for strategic reasons - it was in the process of selling Trillium as part of an asset disposal programme. Land Securities also cited “significantly increased bid costs”.

Sodexo is a member of the Metrix consortium and res-ponsible for providing “soft” management services such as catering and cleaning.

People close to the negotiations confirmed that al-though an agreement had yet to be signed Sodexo had emerged as frontrunner to replace Trillium. It would take over responsibility for “hard” facilities - such as building services and estate management.

Industry rivals said they were surprised Sodexo had emerged as the frontrunner to replace Trillium, which had been providing land acquisition and management advice to the consortium. Supporters said the French company had extensive PFI experience.

Qinetiq declined to comment on Sodexo’s involvement but said “discussions are well advanced to secure a new equity partner”. Sodexo declined to comment.

DTR funding tied to eco-town plans

story at http://www.defencemanagement.com/

DTR funding tied to eco-town plans
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The government is in line to make hundreds of millions of pounds from the sale of excess MoD land as part of its eco-town plans despite the property market bottoming out it has been revealed.

The troubled Defence Training Review (DTR) is to be largely funded through the sale of excess MoD land as certain estates close down in order to move facilities to the new training site in St Athan, Wales. Recent news reports and revelations by armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth indicate that the sale of excess land will continue to be a key part of the funding strategy for the DTR.

Many of these soon to be vacant MoD estates will be part of the government’s plan for eco-towns. The Treasury stands to make at least £275m from the sales of 15 vacant land parcels, nearly half of which will come from the MoD. Some of these including a site at Borden are targeted for closure as part of the DTR.

Ainsworth told MPs that due to the property market crisis, valuation of the site at Borden was "prudent." While it is unclear how much the government and the Metrix consortium will make off the sale, other sites including the Royal Engineers depot at Long Marston have already been valued. Sources indicate that the Treasury could collect £84m from the sale of the depot by itself to eco-town developers.

Critics of the programme have argued that the DTR is being moved ahead despite widespread concerns over its viability and affordability in order to fund eco-towns and give profits to the Treasury and MoD.

Meanwhile the DTR programme, which is already £1bn over budget and has been forced to develop a new business plan, will not come under investigation from the National Audit Office or Comptroller, yet. Since the final financing agreement has not yet been formulated, the DTR has yet to enter the MoD accounts. Therefore the NAO cannot investigate the programme’s affordability and financing according to Ainsworth.

Tony Ben "Privatising training for the Armed Forces morally abominable"

TONY BENN GIVES HIS SUPPORT TO PCS CAMPAIGNS

On Thursday 23^rd October 2008 Tony Benn, who was an MP for 51years and still a much venerated figure of the Labour Party, spoke at a public meeting in the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton. Branch members from DCAE Cosford took the opportunity to meet with Tony to gain his support for their on –going campaigns against the DTR privatisation and pay dispute.

On DTR, Tony Benn said “The thought of privatising the training for the Armed forces was morally abominable” and he made reference to the disgraceful mercenary company Blackwater in the USA.

St Athan Deal collapsing?

RAF base may stay open due to DTR

Monday, September 15, 2008

The future of RAF Cosford is even more unclear than it was a few months ago due to the struggles of the Defence Training Review (DTR).

The £11bn training programme was awarded to St Athan, Wales over the RAF base in Shropshire. Many officials expected that this would mean the closure of the airbase. A formal announcement on the base's future is expected later this month.

However, as reported on Friday, the DTR is facing an extended period of difficulty and a full blown financial review because its financing was dependent on the sale of surplus MoD land.

Now the MoD may have to keep the RAF Cosford open as a contingency plan in case the deal at St Athan collapses. RAF Cosford had a number of advocates behind it during the bidding of the DTR including the unions representing the trainers and a number of high profile MPs. The base's infrastructure and close proximity to major cities and airports continues to make an attractive option. If the deal at St Athan were to fall through, the MoD would need a backup site for the programme.

Funding the continued operation of RAF Cosford may pose additional challenges to the MoD. A few months ago all signs pointed to it being closed and sold off. Keeping the base open will not only cost additional money but force the ministry to keep certain jobs there.

Raytheon recruits top US General as Vice-President

Raytheon Network Centric Systems Names Green VP Joint Operations And Integration
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Raytheon_Network_Centric_Systems_Names_Green_VP_Joint_Operations_And_Integration_999.htmlby Staff Writers, Mckinney TX (SPX) Jul 29, 2008

Raytheon's Network Centric Systems has named Stanley E. Green vice president for joint operations and integration. Green will be responsible for the full range of transformation and business initiatives involving the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joint operations, Joint Forces Command, and the military component commands in the Tidewater, Va., area. He will be based at NCS headquarters in McKinney."Stan Green brings a wealth of expertise to our business development team," said Jack Costello, NCS vice president for business development and strategic planning."

His experience in uniform, in war and peace, and with the government interagency process makes him a perfect fit for this position, and we look forward to his contribution as the head of our joint operations efforts."

Green joins Raytheon after more than 37 years in the Army from which he retired in the rank of lieutenant general.I n his most recent assignment, he served as the Inspector General of the Army -- one of the most carefully chosen positions in the service -- where he was responsible for monitoring, inspecting and periodically reporting on various aspects of discipline, efficiency, morale, training, and readiness in the Army.In that capacity, he reported directly to the secretary of the Army and the chief of staff of the Army.

His military and leadership experience also includes numerous senior staff positions, both in the Army and at the Joint level. He distinguished himself as the chief of staff of the Eighth U.S. Army, U.S. Forces, Korea, where he regularly worked with the United Nations and the Department of State.He was the deputy chief of staff for doctrine at the Army's Training and Doctrine Command where he was responsible for developing and distributing Army warfighting doctrine, and where he was instrumental in developing initial doctrine for the Army's Future Combat System.He also served as the deputy Inspector General of the Army, and as the commanding general of the United States Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was responsible for the Army's air defense branch.Green has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Texas, El Paso, and master's degrees in management from Webster University and in Strategic Studies from the National War College.

New Labour Trash - hoping no one will notice!!

Source: Guardian (UK), July 22, 2008
On parliament's last day before its summer break, the British government publicly released thirty ministerial statements, including one listing the salaries of "special advisers," one detailing the siting criteria for new nuclear power stations and another detailing the guests entertained at Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official residence, Chequers. The document dump was dubbed by some as "take out the trash day," after an episode of the fictional television series on the White House, the West Wing. Mike Granatt, a former head of the British government's Government Information and Communications Service and now a partner in the PR firm Luther Pendragon, explained to PR Week, "You shove everything out on one day and you hope the volume of it means there's only a certain amount of room in the papers and on TV and radio, so that squeezes it. And, secondly, you take the hit at once."

Please can we have a debate in Wales about ...St Athan mercenary training world

Leanne Woods transcript of her question to Carwyn Jones AM, the Leader of the House, at the Senedd on July 1st.

Leanne Wood: I am sure that you will be aware of reports about documents received from the defence training review executive board,which show that there is a major affordability gap in the proposed St Athan development, that there are 15 significant risks to frontlinetroops from the Metrix proposal, that 72 percent of trainers have said that they do not want to move to south Wales and that the construction industry cannot cope with the project, which coincides with the construction work for the Olympics inLondon. Do you accept that in addition to all of these problems, the credit crunch will make borrowing more expensive, bearing in mind that this is also a PFI project? These are serious concerns which need to be given debating time in the Assembly. I accept that the decision around this development is not an Assembly decision and that it is not a devolved issue, but Members need to be satisfied that if this project falls apart, the Assembly’s budget will not be adversely affected.

Carwyn Jones:With regard to St Athan, it is important that we do not put ourselves in a situation whereby we, effectively, appear not to beable to deliver a project in Wales. We have the construction ability to build this project,and it is important that we make that point. If it is the case that many instructors do not want to come to Wales, that does not work very well in terms of selling Wales. I suspect that as soon as the project is up and running and building work begins and they see the facility being built, many people will want to move to Wales. We do not want to give the impression to the world that there is no point building anything in Wales because no-one wants to come here in any case; there is a great danger there. The commitment to the defence training academy is still extremely strong. The Ministry of Defence reaffirmed its commitment to package 1 on 31 January2008, and it is an important development that will bring many jobs to the Vale of Glamorgan and the wider surrounding area,including the Valleys. The full record of proceedings can be viewed here: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-chamber/bus-chamber-third-assembly-rop.htm?act=dis&id=91292&ds=7/2008#rhif2

pathetic... cap in hand to new labour and government uk - not even a debate. not a mention of the privatisation of the war machine..war profiteers,...mercenary training ... for a small now undisclosed number of jobs ......ethics? principles, policies don't matter.

______________________________________________________________________

Military Wales school for mercenaries

NEO IMPERIALISM
To complement this, the Brown government is spending £11bn of taxpayers' money on a huge, privatised military academy in Wales, which will train foreign soldiers and mercenaries recruited to the bogus 'war on terror'. ...Hetty Litjens: Dubya - http://radio.weblogs.com/0116902/categories/dubya/

Sham St Athan Consultation

Latest articles from Shropshire Star at http://www.pcsshropshire.selfip.org/newspage/

‘Outrageous’ tax avoidance by PFIs must stop, says MP
A WELSH MP will bid to change the law today to force firms that build schools, roads and hospitals to pay tax in the UK.more
http://email.icnetwork.co.uk/re?l=bksxz7I38m1qogImViews on St Athan plans sought

WalesOnline - NEW round of public consultations on the multi-billion pound Defence Training Academy at St Athan will be held this month. The Defence Technical Academy ...

The exhibitions at St Athan, Cowbridge and Llantwit are mentioned in the B&DN Press Advert (not in the Gem!) but not the prior event for "Key Stakeholders" on Mon 14 July 18.00-19.30 at St Athan Methodist Church 'Gathering Place', Flemingston Rd.Attached is the report circulated for it and presumably available at the exhibitions (Tues/Wed-St Athan, Thurs-Cowbridge, Fri-Llantwit).Monday's event has a presentation and questions to Metrix, WAG and MoD reps. The organisers Camargue Group Ltd seem flexible
invite.enquiries@st-athanconsultation.co.uk
Phone - 0845 618 0016; website still being set up.

Note the name change to Defence Technical Academy, instead of Training - agreed in the last 2 weeks!


ST ATHAN –
Home of the Defence Technical Academy and Aerospace Park – FAQ, June 2008


THE SCHEME

Where is the proposed site?
MOD St Athan is located in the Vale of Glamorgan close to the village of St Athan. The site is owned by the Welsh Assembly Government and is currently used for a range of MOD training and commercial and aerospace operations. St Athan has always been used to provide training for MOD personnel since it was first acquired by the RAF in 1938 and has been an integral part of the community for more than 70 years.


What will be delivered?
The redevelopment will chiefly consist of a new Defence Technical Academy, with associated housing and facilities, and an Aerospace Business Park.

With a commitment to technological innovation and a dynamic approach to training delivery the Defence Technical Academy will provide training for up to 4,500 students at any one time specialising in aeronautical and electro mechanical engineering, and communications/IT disciplines. The Aerospace Business Park will attract businesses involved in both civilian and military work and will further strengthen the region’s existing track record in aerospace expertise.

Who will deliver the project?
The redevelopment of MOD St Athan brings together a number of parties, primarily Metrix, the Welsh Assembly Government and the MOD.

Raytheon Systems Limited- The Metrix consortium combines the best in technical knowledge, ... The Metrix Solution –Building a World-Class Defence Training Academy ...www.raytheon.co.uk/products/dtr.html - 18k -

In 2007, the Secretary of State for Defence announced that the Metrix Consortium had been selected as the MOD’s Preferred Bidder for the delivery of the Defence Technical Academy. Metrix, a special purpose company that is a 50/50 joint venture between the defence and technology research group QinetiQ and leading British property development and investment company Land Securities Trillium, has extensive experience in delivering projects of this scope and scale. (shhh! don't mention Raytheon arms dealers, Serco?)

The redevelopment of St Athan is being undertaken in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, which is promoting the development of the Aerospace Business Park and providing major new infrastructure for the entire development.


Why do we need to redevelop St Athan?
Currently, specialist training in aeronautical, electro mechanical engineering and communication/IT disciplines takes place at nine different sites across the UK producing some of the world’s best trained military personnel. The Metrix vision will see the Defence Technical Academy building on this success by creating a single training facility of international standing.

The Defence Technical Academy will bring training, for each of the services; Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, together in one location for the first time. The benefits of this are considerable and will ensure that UK military personnel continue to receive the very best training available, whilst bringing together each of the services in one location will mean further benefits in terms of efficiency and shared learning.


Furthermore, the existing site, specifically East Camp, is currently under utilised with many of the buildings at the end of their economic life or in need of significant investment.

St Athan is also a strategically important asset with an operational runway and as part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s support programme for the aerospace sector is being developed as an Aerospace Business Park.


ABOUT THE PROJECT

What would the Defence Technical Academy look like?
The design and construction of the Technical Academy will be of a high design standard. The former DARA Super Hangar will also be an integral part, ensuring that this recently built facility continues to be used appropriately.

What will the Aerospace Business Park comprise?
Part of the existing airfield site will be redeveloped as an Aerospace Business Park, which will accommodate a number of businesses primarily engaged in commercial and military aerospace activities.

The Aerospace Business Park will complement the training academy as well as becoming a centre for excellence in its own right building upon South Wales’ existing aerospace expertise.

How will the construction process be managed?
A number of measures would be introduced to ensure that any disruption to the local community during construction is kept to a minimum. These include minimising any construction traffic at night and only using specified, pre-agreed routes into the site.


EMPLOYMENT & THE ECONOMY

What local employment opportunities will there be?
The Technical Academy will result in the creation of a number of new jobs. The construction phase will also generate further employment opportunities for the local community and the wider Vale of Glamorgan. The Aerospace Business Park has the potential to provide some 2,000 further jobs for the area together with significant training opportunities through local universities, colleges and training providers. Jobs created by the Technical Academy, together with the trainees attending, would result in an annual multi million pound injection into the local/regional economy.

How can businesses become involved with the redevelopment of St Athan?
The St Athan team is already engaged in discussions with a number of local and regional suppliers and would be pleased to hear from any business that feels it has an offering that would be beneficial in the redevelopment of St Athan – see contact details below.


TRANSPORT

How will traffic be managed?
Improvement works including new accesses and enhancements to Eglwys Brewis Road, St Athan Junction, the B4265 road at Gileston/Old Mill and Waycock Cross roundabout will help ensure the road network is able to cope with any increase in traffic at peak times. Planning applications will include proposals for routing and mitigation measures for construction traffic generated by the development proposals. A Green Travel Plan will also be introduced that that will include a number of measures to reduce car usage, such as encouraging site personnel to use public transport.


How is public transport provision being considered?
A full transport assessment will be undertaken to assess the likely need for any enhancements to the existing public transport network and ensure appropriate provision is made.


THE ENVIRONMENT

What is being done to preserve the local ecology of the site and the surrounding area?
A comprehensive series of measures will be implemented to ensure that the effects on wildlife are minimised and new habitats provided will be of the highest standards. A series of new ponds have already been created and will provide a haven for wildlife and an ideal habitat for the existing population of great crested newts.


What other measures will be taken to minimise environmental impact?
The developers intend to build a high quality development, with appropriate landscaping, in keeping with the character of the location and which will be taken forward, as far as possible, on sustainable development principles. To this end, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment is being undertaken. To help meet energy needs in a sustainable manner, the proposed development will include an Energy Centre incorporating a bio-mass generator that would be fuelled in part by wood chips, reducing carbon emissions for the technical academy by between 30 and 60 per cent per annum. In addition to this, a series of environmental policies will be adopted, with one of the most comprehensive recycling and composting schemes of any modern development. On site water retention will be introduced to control surface run-off and a waste minimisation strategy will see rubble from the demolition phase being re-used as building materials and in the landscaping of the site.


HOUSING

Will new houses be built in St Athan and will new facilities be provided?
Up to 550 houses will be built to provide family accommodation for personnel during their stay. Design will be of a high standard that will complement the local area. A number of potential sites in and around the area are being considered and assessed in terms of their suitability.

Retail, leisure, medical, sports and recreational facilities will be provided for site personnel to ensure that no additional burden is placed on existing services within the community. In addition, it is anticipated that some of these facilities will be made available to the public at certain times.


CONSULTATION

Do the views of the public really count?
This is a genuine process of consultation and we consider every comment that is made. Comments made during the course of previous consultation exercises have already influenced the emerging plan and we will continue to listen as we move forward together.

What happens next?
Between now and the proposed submission of a planning application in Spring 2009, there will be an ongoing programme of consultation including the distribution of newsletters, a regularly updated web-site, workshops and a series of public exhibitions. The first phase of consultation will take place in July 2008 and will help inform the topics for the workshops that will take place later in the year. If the planning application is approved, and following financial close, construction work could start in early 2010 with completion of the technical academy by 2014.


How can the public get involved?
As well as a series of public exhibitions, there will also be a programme of workshops that will begin later in the year. Dates for the first phase of exhibitions have already been confirmed and these will be used to help identify topics for the workshops. In addition, a dedicated telephone number, e-mail address and freepost address have been set up. These can be used to ask questions, pass on comments or simply raise issues the public feel we need to be aware of. Details as follows:

- Email - enquiries@st-athanconsultation.co.uk
- Phone - 0845 618 0016
- Address - Camargue Group Ltd, Freepost RRKG-AZTG-JLJX,
St Athan Consultation
Eagle Tower,
Montpellier Drive
Cheltenham, GL50 1TA

-ENDS-

The Metrix Consortium
St Athan Academy will be a private facility operated by the Metrix Consortium, which is a joint venture company of Land Securities Trillium and Qinetiq, in partnership with other sub-contracting companies: AgustaWestland, City & Guilds, Currie & Brown, Dalkia, EDS, Laing O’Rourke, Nord Anglia, Raytheon, Serco, Sodexho and the Open University. The Metrix business model for maximising its profits at St Athan is to maximise the amount of training it provides, through serving not just the British military but militaries all over the world. “The only winners in the privatisation of defence training,” says Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, “are the shareholders of the Metrix Consortium.”

More information on EDSEDS coporate incompetanceEDS contract slammed by union chief Mark Serwotka PCS