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

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.

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.

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, 4^th 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 ...

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.

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

MP should argue the case for Cosford more strongly!

MP should argue the case for Cosford more strongly!

Mark Pritchard MP argued for keeping training at Cosford and sending the army logistics brigades to St Athan during Defence Questions in the Commons on 5^th July.

Tory MP Mr Pritchard said: “Does it not make sense, given the presence of the extra special forces support group and the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment and indeed the logistic hangars and the very long runway indeed at RAF St Athan in Wales, to actually have 1 and 2 logistics brigade return to St Athan rather than RAF Cosford in Shropshire?”

The Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering would then stay at Cosford airbase.

While this alternative was not chosen originally, the large down-sizing of the integrated Training College (from 6000 to 2700 or even 2000 trainee places) brings the Cosford option back into reckoning.  Little investment would be needed for the reduced numbers.

Nick Harvey’s ministerial reply showed he’s unaware of the down-sizing and unwilling to make a proper reassessment.  Too much a prisoner of his civil servants!

Cosford training base

A question in parliament on Monday has revealed that there is fresh doubt over the future of RAF Cosford as a military training base. The new coalition government has indicated that it has no intention of halting the plans to construct a defence super-centre in St Athan, Wales.

Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): If he will consider, as part of the strategic defence and security review, the merits of the Army returning to RAF St Athan rather than RAF Cosford. [5314]

The Minister for the Armed Forces (Nick Harvey): Plans for the defence training review package 1 project remain unchanged, and consequently it is still planned for 102 Logistics Brigade to relocate to RAF Cosford in 2018 under the BORONA programme. Like everything else in the defence world, that is subject to the strategic defence and security review. At this point, no decisions have been taken.

Mark Pritchard: Let me be clear: Shropshire has a long and proud history of working with the British Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, but does it make sense, given the presence of the excellent special forces support group and 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, and indeed the logistic hangars and a very long runway indeed at RAF St Athan in Wales, for 102 Logistics Brigade to return to St Athan rather than to RAF Cosford in Shropshire?

Nick Harvey: My hon. Friend is aware that there were two different proposals in the final analysis for the defence training review facilities: Cosford and St Athan. Those were subject to the most detailed scrutiny to decide which was the better fit for our defence requirements and the decision was that the defence training review should relocate facilities to St Athan. We believe that there is an obvious synergy between that and other work at St Athan, particular in high technology, and a lot of work has already gone into preparing for that move. To change course now, as he suggests, would undo a great deal of investment that has already been made and add considerably to the final cost.

The Express and Star report on the recent announcement:

Tuesday 6th July 2010, 11:30AM BST.

Fresh doubt was today cast over the future of RAF Cosford as a military base after the the new coalition Government signalled it had no intention of switching plans to construct a defence super-centre at an air force base in South Wales to the Midlands instead.

Campaigners’ hopes for a reversal of the previous Labour government’s decision have been dashed after Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey indicated it was out of the question.

The Conservatives promised a review of the transfer if they won power.

Mr Harvey stopped short of guaranteeing the £13bn project currently under way at St Athan would get the green light from the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition as part of its strategic defence review, which is expected to be driven by the need to scale back spending.

But said to “change courses” would “add to the final costs considerably”.

In addition, he was unable to shed any further light on shelved plans to move UK troops based in Germany to RAF Cosford – its only other hope of staying alive as a military base.

Plans for the movement of 2,600 troops from Germany to Cosford, due to start in 2016 under Operation Barona, have been delayed to 2018 – putting 400 jobs at the air field near Wolverhampton at risk.

Mr Harvey said the plans were still under review.

His comments came after Telford and Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard urged him to consider the merits of relocating some brigades to St Athan, while suggesting Cosford should remain the principal training centre for the armed forces.

Raising the issue during Defence Questions in the Commons yesterday, Mr Pritchard said: “Shropshire has a long and proud history of working with the British Army, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy.

“But does it not make sense, given the presence of the extra special forces support group and the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment and indeed the logistic hangars and the very long runway indeed at RAF St Athan in Wales, to actually have 1 and 2 logistics brigade return to St Athan rather than RAF Cosford in Shropshire?” asked the Tory MP.

Work is under way to move the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (DCAE), currently at Cosford airbase near Shifnal, to Wales from 2014.

Mr Harvey said the decision had been made that St Athan was “better fit for our defence requirements”.

He went on: “We believe there is an obvious synergy between that and other work at St Athan, particularly in high-technology areas.

“To change courses as you suggest now, would undo a great deal of investment that has already been made and add to the final costs considerably,” he added.

Welsh Labour MP Chris Bryant said he was delighted the Government was going to “stick with St Athan”.

Read more: http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/07/06/fresh-doubt-on-future-of-raf-cosford/#ixzz0t1VjGSBh