ANTI-METRIX

Batty Ieuan Wyn Jones

2011-01-23T01:51:00.000-08:00

One year after the £5million St Athan Public Inquiry, the groups critical of the plans are demanding Ieuan Wyn Jones - the Minister responsible for the development – lift his block on the compulsory purchase (CPO) decision. WAG went to the Inquiry for Compulsory Purchase of land costing £5 million, said to be ‘necessary in the public interest’ for the combined schemes. Once the MoD decided they would not proceed with the Metrix scheme in the October Defence Review, their case had disappeared. There is now no case for green-field development and the damaging northern access road across peaceful meadows around the Llanmaes brook, argue the Council with Green Party and FOE support.

And TWO new purpose-built homes for bats have cost the taxpayer £128,000, the Echo reveals.
'The Ministry of Defence (MoD) was today accused of extravagance and “new levels of absurdity” as the cost of the two wooden buildings at RAF St Athan emerged.The bat houses were part of the £20.3m enabling works carried out in anticipation of RAF St Athan becoming a defence training academy.
Plans for the £14bn development were scrapped by the Conservative-LibDem coalition in October as part of its cost-cutting efforts.' MoD is criticised over bat houses by Madeleine Brindley, South Wales Echo

St Athan Aerospace Business Park a 'dog's breakfast ...

2011-01-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

The Aerospace Business Park a 'dog's breakfast ...14 Jan 2011 ... Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones told Mr Davies that the government remained committed to the business park, which was a phased development over the next ...
‘£43 million spent, but not one job created’... We have said this time and time again and so did the auditor some years ago..but they never learn..
Other expenditure by WAG includes the Camargue PR firm engaged to run the ‘public consultation’ and £12.5M (+contingency) for advance works*,which MoD would refund if they don’t proceed.

*Cabinet update, Jan. 2010
Failed Red Dragon project
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.
we are still waiting - more than a year later for the Inquiry results.

One Year On – Call to stop blocking St Athan decision!

2011-01-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

One year after the St Athan Public Inquiry, the groups critical of the plans are stepping up pressure on Ieuan Wyn Jones - the Minister responsible for the development – to lift his block on the compulsory purchase (CPO) decision. Robin Gwyndaf of Cymdeithas y Cymod has written seeking a deputation to the Minister on the matter (letter attached).

Chris Franks AM raised it* early in January on behalf of Llanmaes Community Council, when Mr Jones told him they were waiting for the MoD to decide the future of the base and its training facility. Previously the civil servants claimed to Barry & Vale FoE that they required more time because of “complexity” (letter of 17 Nov.) and “complex ramifications” (17 Dec. below).

Opposition groups within the Cynefin y Werin network say the situation is simple – WAG went to the Inquiry for Compulsory Purchase of land said to be ‘necessary in the public interest’ for the combined schemes. Once the MoD decided they would not proceed with the Metrix scheme in the October Defence Review, their case had disappeared. There is now no case for green-field development and the damaging northern access road across peaceful meadows around the Llanmaes brook, argue the Council with Friends of the Earth's support.

* Glamorgan Gem, p.4, 6 January 2011 “Aerospace Business Park still long-term aim of the Assembly”.
** http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/st_athan_defence_technical_colle html

The £5 million went to consultants, publicity and the Public Inquiry (QC and witness costs), authorised on the claim that the aerospace development was complimentary to the Training College. Because of the Red Dragon fiasco, the auditor had told the Welsh Assembly government not to commit spending relating to another MoD project, without guaranteed refund if the MoD pulled out. Yet Ieuan Wyn Jones's department has now lost further millions in the same way.
## http://www.antimetrix.org/2010/12/we-gave-evidence-at-jan-2010-st-athan.htm

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

As Chris Franks reports (Gem 6 January) the size and shape of the aerospace business park would have to change, so any alternative scheme requiring CPOs would need another Inquiry. There is no legal reason for holding up the Inspector's report (completed in March 2010) for the Minister's convenience or embarrassment over the loss of over £5 million**, say Cynefin y Werin (Stephen Thomas). The hold-up appears to be abuse of the separation between planning decision-making and policy decisions##.

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.

Ieuan Wyn Jones sits on St Athan inquiry report

2010-12-15T02:43:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-12-15T01:50:00.000-08:00

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

CPO Inquiry Cover up

2010-11-22T11:32:00.000-08:00

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”.

welsh ministers wont release Jan inquiry report

2010-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

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

St Athan Expensive runway

2010-10-28T07:57:00.001-07:00

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

Relief and Joy at St Athan Military College Cancellation

2010-10-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Cynefin y Werin/St Athan Anti-Metrix

press release

19th October 2010

Relief and Joy at St Athan Military College Cancellation

Following today’s Westminster Government Strategic and Defence Review announcement, Campaigners are jubilant that plans for the privatised military training college at St Athan have been scrapped.
Campaigners had consistently revealed that claims that the military college would bring thousands of jobs to the area were wrong from the start. The project was in reality job reduction over the three armed services and it is now clear that only a few hundred unskilled jobs could be available for Vale of Glamorgan people. In fact, more job seekers would have come to the Vale than new jobs [1]. Max Wallis from Cynefin y Werin and Barry Friends of the Earth said today:
‘This overblown project is opposed by many local people and has blighted the St. Athan area, as we argued at the public Inquiry [2]. Advance payments from MoD and the Welsh Assembly of many £ millions have been a gravy train for private consultants, instead of funds going to upgrading MoD training facilities.’
Anne Greagsby Cynefin y Werin and Wales Green Party commented:
‘We are jubilant that this shows we might actually halt the militarisation of Wales and the training of military personnel from unsavoury regimes here.’
‘Regarding any further development of aerospace business at St Athan, its viability has to be fully considered by the Welsh Assembly Government. A fraction of the money squandered on this project would have breathed life into many more sustainable green jobs in Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan.’
Max Wallis further added:
‘We support the many in the military who wanted to keep all training within MoD, confident this gives better value, flexibility and effectiveness. As with many PFIs, this one was rigged to favour privatisation over the public sector comparator. Since that, the private sector price has leapt from £11 billion to £14 billion, mainly with financial/banking charges. The Commons Committee Report that over half the £10.5 billion for the FSTA (Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft) PFI will go to profit and banker fees, sets a big question over the cost claims.’

‘We supported the anti-Metrix campaign criticism that the project committed Wales and the UK for 30 years to a consortium in which international weapons suppliers Raytheon and Qinetiq are prominent partners. Such a massive military project on Welsh soil goes against the ethos of sustainable development and international citizenship, which the Welsh Assembly claims to espouse.’
ENDS

Contacts
Bilingual interviews are available:
Stephen V Thomas 02920 666645uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=stephenv.thomas@btinternet.com

stephenv.thomas@btinternet.com

Anne Greagsby 02920 756961 – 07817513610 –http://uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=annegre@btinternet.com>
annegre@btinternet.com
Notes
The up-to-date St Athan Briefing with myth-busting facts attached or can be
found here
http://www.antimetrix.org/2010/09/st-athan-defence-training-college.html

[1] False claims about jobs for Wales (references given in the Briefing)

At the Welsh Affairs Committee in July 2006, local AM and Welsh Minister,
Jane Hutt spoke of “the creation of 5500 permanent jobs”, while Chris Bryant
upped it to “maybe 6000”. The MoD baseline numbers in DTR1 are 2400
military staff, 1600 civilian staff, 6000 defence trainees (standing
population) plus contractor personnel in catering, security etc.

· At the Public Inquiry (Jan. 2010), Metrix gave 3000 total, of which 700
are military staff and 500 are non-project staff

· The 1800 civilian jobs include 1200 managers, contractor personnel and
trainer staff transferring to Metrix. The jobs available for local job seekers
are in cleaning, maintenance, transport and catering.

· The Inquiry was told military trainee places have reduced from the 6000
to 2700, a figure that could be cut to about 2000 by the Defence Review.

· The 2400 transfers to St Athan will bring in many job-seeking spouses
and family members, estimated as 1200-1900. These job-seekers far outnumber
the few hundred (up-to 600) jobs provided.

[2]The verdict from the Public Inquiry was known at the end of March, but
WAG is sitting on the results. Local people and particularly Llantwit Major
Community Council are highly critical of this (contact Vale Cllr Gwyn John
and community Cllr Bob Gant - see www.antimetrix.org/2010/09/.....).

St Athan “gargantuan PFI” is to be reviewed and scaled down

2010-10-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Public Expenditure Review

We are encouraged to see no funds have been allocated for the privatised military training college at St Athan. It signals that the “gargantuan PFI” is to be reviewed and scaled down, as the BBC revealed [1]

The people of Wales have been mislead about this project from the start when this project was first announced in Jan 2007 with exaggerated promises of thousands of jobs - it was in reality a job reduction exercise and it is now clear that only a few hundred unskilled jobs could be available for local people. In fact more job seekers would be coming to Wales than new jobs [below].

The PR for Metrix – lead partners Sodexo with weapons dealers Raytheon and Qinetiq - now claim their training would be more effective. Yet they already lost out on the skilled training (Package 2) retained within the MoD. Let’s have a fair review, compared with keeping all training within MoD – we are confident this will show better value, flexibility and effectiveness.

As with many PFIs, this one was rigged to favour privatisation over the public sector comparator. Since that, the private sector price has leapt from £11 billion to £14 billion, mainly with financial/banking charges. The Commons Cttee report that over half the £10.5 bn for the FSTA (tanker aircraft) PFI will go to profit and banker fees, sets a big question over the cost claims.

The anti-Metrix campaigner sees the project not just as integration of training for British forces, but committing Wales and the UK for 30 years to a consortium in which international weapons suppliers are prominent partners. Such a massive military project on Welsh soil goes against the ethos of sustainable development and international citizenship, which the Welsh Assembly claims to espouse.

Max Wallis from Cynefin y Werin and Barry Friends of the Earth said “This overblown project is opposed by many local people and has blighted the St Athan area, as we argued at the public Inquiry. [2] Advance payments from MoD and the Welsh Assembly of many £ millions have been a gravy train for private consultants, instead of funds going to upgrading MoD training facilities.”

Anne Greagsby Cynefin y Werin and Wales Green Party “We are jubilant that this shows we might halt the militarization of Wales and training military from unsavoury regimes here.”

Regarding any further development of aerospace business at St Athan, its viability has to be fully considered by the Welsh assembly government. A fraction of the money squandered on this project would have breathed life into many more sustainable green jobs in Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Contact Stephen V Thomas 02920 666645 stephenv.thomas@btinternet.com

Anne Greagsby 02920 756961 – 07817513610 – annegre@btinternet.com

Notes

The up-to-date St Athan Briefing with myth-busting facts attached or can be found here

http://www.antimetrix.org/2010/09/st-athan-defence-training-college.html

[1] 22 Sep 2010 ... British Broadcasting Corporation BBC Home. Accessibility links ... will go ahead - but it won't be a gargantuan PFI," said the source. ...www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/.../2010/09/st_athan_the_doubts_grow.

False claims about jobs for Wales (references given in the Briefing)

At the Welsh Affairs Committee in July 2006, local AM and Welsh Minister, Jane Hutt spoke of “the creation of 5500 permanent jobs”, while Chris Bryant upped it to “maybe 6000”. The MoD baseline numbers in DTR1 are 2400 military staff, 1600 civilian staff, 6000 defence trainees (standing population) plus contractor personnel in catering, security etc.

· At the Public Inquiry (Jan. 2010), Metrix gave 3000 total, of which 700 are military staff and 500 are non-project staff

· The 1800 civilian jobs include 1200 managers, contractor personnel and trainer staff transferring to Metrix. The jobs available for local job seekers are in cleaning, maintenance, transport and catering.

· The Inquiry was told military trainee places have reduced from the 6000 to 2700, a figure that could be cut to about 2000 by the Defence Review.

· The 2400 transfers to St Athan will bring in many job-seeking spouses and family members, estimated as 1200-1900. These job-seekers far outnumber the few hundred (up-to 600) jobs provided.

[2]The verdict from the Public Inquiry was known at the end of March, but WAG is sitting on the results. Local people and particularly Llanwit Major community Council are highly critical of this (contact Vale Cllr Gwyn John and community Cllr Bob Gant - see www.antimetrix.org/2010/09/.....).

Cynefin y Werin St Athan Anti-Metrix press release 18th Oct 2010

Welsh MPs want crooks Sodexo to run military training

2010-10-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

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 ...

Assembly keeping mum over St Athan inquiry

2010-10-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

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?

Why Cost of St Athan rose to £14bn

2010-10-08T03:28:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-10-06T04:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Alun Cairns & St Athan Option

2010-10-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Who wants Sodexo in Wales?

2010-09-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-30T04:54:00.000-07:00

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

MP backs St Athan PR firm's Labour donation‎

2010-09-30T03:35:00.000-07:00

MP backs St Athan PR firm's Labour donation‎ WalesOnline - James McCarthy 29 Sept 2010
A PR firm employed by the company behind the St Athan defence training college paid £2500 to the constituency party of project supporter, Labour MP Chris Bryant.
....A PR firm employed by the company behind the St Athan defence training college paid £2,500 to the constituency party of project supporter, Labour MP Chris Bryant, it has emerged.
Mr Bryant, who represents Rhondda, said the donation was the cost of a table at a fundraising dinner for the constituency Labour party and had nothing to do with his support for the £14bn academy.
Campaigners against the St Athan development, which is led by the Metrix consortium involving defence firms Qinetiq and France’s Sodexo, criticised the constituency party for accepting the donation.
The cash was paid after a fundraising dinner for the constituency party before the General Election by Bell Pottinger, the parent company of Cardiff’s Good Relations PR firm, which has also donated to Conservative party coffers.
Bell Pottinger is employed by Metrix.
Mr Bryant said: “Bell Pottinger came and made a contribution to the cost of their table.
“I have never received a penny from Metrix.
“I have only ever campaigned for St Athan because I think it will bring jobs to Wales.
Oh yeah?
“I have declared everything I am meant to declare.
“I have never received a penny personally from Bell Pottinger or from Metrix and St Athan is supported by the Conservative Party, Plaid Cymru, the Lib Dems and Labour.“I have spent a huge amount of time campaigning for this to happen, otherwise it would go somewhere else.”
He said the party accepting money from Bell Pottinger did not constitute a conflict of interest.
The money only helped to fund his election campaign!
Lord Tim Bell – chairman of Bell Pottinger parent company Chime Communications – was an adviser in Margaret Thatcher’s three successful general election campaigns.
The Tory peer said: “It is not a reflection of political sympathies.
“It is a reflection of the fact that we run a public affairs business that has relationships with all the political parties. It is the issue about definitions. What the public thinks is a definition (of a political donation) is giving money to a political party to pursue political aims.
“Unfortunately because of the Electoral Commission’s and the media’s attack on political donations, all sorts of broad definitions have come into it.
“If you take a table at a conference it will be declared as a political donation.
Cash for access to you and me
“It is no longer any reflection of where political sympathies lie.”
He insisted Bell Pottinger did not “make any secret” of its political donations.
Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins claimed the money could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
She said: “I don’t know why Bell Pottinger has changed its loyalties. It may be that they have more to gain from Labour MPs.”
In 2008 Metrix itself gave £7,000 to the national arm of Labour.
Anne Greagsby, an anti-Metrix campaigner thought such donations should be outlawed.
She said: “I think it is appalling.”

An American lobbyist once quipped that: 'The way to a man's "aye" is through his stomach.'[1] This form of influence-peddling is often derided by parliamentary wags, who argue that there is indeed such a thing as a free lunch. But the use of expensive meals and evening entertainment is a common method to either extract information from or influence an MP - 'Gastronomic pimping', Aneurin Bevan called it.[2]

1 Schlozman and Tierney, 1986, p. 294. Quoted in Grant Jordan, The Commercial Lobbyists, p. 24.

2 Alan Doig, Westminster Babylon, p. 307.
2 Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960), British Labour politician. Quoted in Aneurin Bevan, vol. 2, ch. 6, Michael Foot (1973).

See also A raw deal for the taxpayer as trainee numbers shrink and costs spiral upwards

The latest edition of Private Eye report on the defence academy PR campaign in the run up to the party conferences: "The public relations operation behind the controversial plan to privatise military training under a £14bn. 30-year PFI deal at a new defence academy in South Wales (Eyes passim) is being ratcheted up, ready for the schmooze-fest that is the party conference season.
The Metrix consortium, which is lined up for the contract, has hired another PR agency, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, to help exisiting adviser Bell Pottinger (see Eye 1268) convince the government to go ahead with a deal that is already behind schedule and whose costs have escalated by around £3bn before anything has been signed.
Citigate is busy preparing guest lists for dinners to be hosted at all the party conferences, and has been in “continual contact” with Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams and Labour MP for Rhonda Chris Bryant and his Tory neighbour in the Vale of Glamorgan Alun Cairns, in whose constituency the academy will be sited."
The full Private Eye article can be viewed here

A question for Chris Bryant

2010-09-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Q to Chris Bryant MP for Rhondda

Who's paying for the dinner at Labour Conf that he's sponsoring

The MoD has poured in £millions to try and save the project since Sodexo took over, even though PFI was supposed to bear the preparation costs and risks.

See A raw deal for the taxpayer as trainee numbers shrink and costs spiral upwards

The latest edition of Private Eye report on the defence academy PR campaign in the run up to the party conferences:

The public relations operation behind the controversial plan to privatise military training under a £14bn. 30-year PFI deal at a new defence academy in South Wales (Eyes passim) is being ratcheted up, ready for the schmooze-fest that is the party conference season.
The Metrix consortium, which is lined up for the contract, has hired another PR agency, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, to help exisiting adviser Bell Pottinger (see Eye 1268) convince the government to go ahead with a deal that is already behind schedule and whose costs have escalated by around £3bn before anything has been signed.
Citigate is busy preparing guest lists for dinners to be hosted at all the party conferences, and has been in “continual contact” with Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams and Labour MP for Rhonda Chris Bryant and his Tory neighbour in the Vale of Glamorgan Alun Cairns, in whose constituency the academy will be sited.
Then, on 21st of this month, there’s a “David Cameron black tie dinner” at the Dorchester, for which the PR men must “prepare key messages in advance” and “ensure liaison with Bell Pottinger and PM’s office”.

The full article can be viewed here.

Kirsty Williams St Athan dinner for Metrix

2010-09-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

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 ...

St Athan Defence Training College, Briefing

2010-09-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

St Athan Defence Training College, Briefing[1]

In January 2007, Westminster announced a new military training college for the Vale of Glamorgan at the St Athan base. Welsh politicians celebrated it as one of the best things to ever happen to Wales and its economy – claimed to ‘create’ thousands of jobs, which has proven false.

The project is not just integration of training for British forces, but would commit Wales and the

for 30 years to a consortium in which international weapons suppliers are prominent partners[1]. The Metrix partnership led by multinational companies, includes some of the world’s most powerful arms companies. Both Raytheon and Qinetiq are shunned by ethical investors[2]. The third lead partner is Sodexo, controversial in catering and managing prisons[3].

A raw deal for the taxpayer as trainee numbers shrink and costs spiral upwards

When announced in January 2007, £14 billion was given as the price of both training Package-1 and Package-2[4]. Then Package 2 (one third of the total) was cut out and the price reduced to £11 billion (February 2008). Though the MOD agreed to reducing trainee contact-hours by 25%, the cost crept up to £12 billion (10 Sept. 2008). Then £13 billion was cited at the January 2010 Public Inquiry, though trainee places had shrunk to 2700 (from 4000-6000). Next, in July 2010, the Minister stated £14 billion, with the MoD giving as excuse that they can’t control inflation[5]. Yet Metrix claim savings compared with the non-PFI alternative (which cost £11.4bn in 2008).

Pressed in the Commons, the Minister[6] stated the increase in costs since Sept. 2008 results from

“the substantial increased cost of finance, increased provision for risk, and the changed assumption for inflation throughout the life of the project”.

The first is due to the credit crunch, but increases in the ‘risk’ premium and in assumed future inflation indicate the MoD allowing financial drift to keep the PFI on the road. Companies chosen for PFI-funded contracts are supposed to cover initial costs and bear risks in project delivery[7]. Land Securities Trillion were originally the lead partner for project management, but they withdrew in December 2008 after investing £20 million. Sodexo were promoted to lead partner in February 2009 without competitive bidding, and since then the MoD has awarded special funding. This included an extra £32M risk reduction[8], £31M to Metrix for design of integrated training (2009) and £29M for Early Works (Jan.2010). In addition millions (nearly £8M) have gone to legal and financial consultants, as well as planning etc. costs that would normally be borne by the PFI company.

Paid to Company	2008/9	2009/10	Comments
Price Waterhouse Coopers	£1,265,206	£1,166,054	Audit + financial advisors
Simmons & Simmons	£765,073	£2,342,872	Legal services
Partnerships UK	£619, 549	£666,067	Promote PFI projects
Entec	£60,926	0	Planning consultants
GVA Grimley	£15,000	0	Property consultants
White Young Green	£409,340	0	Planning consultants
Willis	0	£8,970	Financial advice
DSTL	£32,150	0	MoD Defence services
Hewitt Associates	£6,271	£7,254	Human resources consulting
SDS	£100,000	0	Security services
Legion Group	£645	0	Security [in administration]
Symbia	0	£79,063	Information Technology
Defence Estates	0	£364,999	Various contractors
TOTAL	£3,274,160.00	£4,635,279.00

Table: MoD figures for direct expenditure on the Metrix project (no breakdown available in earlier years). While the planning consultants are doing a set piece of survey work and preparing documents, the biggest sums go for banking/financial advice from companies with a strong interest in continuing the PFI deal so they continue to get a percentage. Other expenditure by WAG includes the Camargue PR firm engaged to run the ‘public consultation’ and £12.5M (+contingency) for advance works[9], which MoD would refund if they don’t proceed. Simmons & Simmons advised the MoD on the much criticised 2002 sale of Qinetiq at knockdown price.

Why didn’t the Assembly and Welsh politicians reject Metrix?

Assembly politicians claimed it was a Westminster decision and so outside their jurisdiction. Yet the WDA seconded two officers to Metrix, and since their absorption in the Welsh Assembly Government, a team of civil servants have worked on it. Some local politicians, notably Chris Bryant MP and former MP John Smith talk of ‘jobs’ and multi-billion investment. John Smith and local media persisted in calling the total PFI cost “investment” and accused critics of endangering ‘Welsh’ jobs. The actual investment of £830million includes housing[10] and is similar to the St Davids-2 retail development in Cardiff.

False claims about jobs for Wales

At the Welsh Affairs Committee in July 2006, local AM and Welsh Minister, Jane Hutt spoke of “the creation of 5500 permanent jobs”, while Chris Bryant upped it to “maybe 6000”. The MoD baseline numbers[11] in DTR1 are 2400 military staff, 1600 civilian staff, 6000 defence trainees (standing population) plus contractor personnel in catering, security etc.

· At the Public Inquiry (Jan. 2010), Metrix gave 3000 total, of which 700 are military staff and 500 are non-project staff

· The 1800 civilian jobs include 1200 managers, contractor personnel and trainer staff transferring to Metrix[12]. The jobs available for local job seekers are in cleaning, maintenance, transport and catering.

· The Inquiry was told military trainee places have reduced from the 6000 to 2700, a figure that could be cut to about 2000 by the Defence Review.

· The 2400 transfers to St Athan will bring in many job-seeking spouses and family members[13], estimated as 1200-1900. These job-seekers far outnumber the few hundred (up-to 600) jobs provided.

What of the Aerospace Business Park component of the St Athan development?

Over £100 million was spent on the former Red Dragon project at St Athan to provide MoD aircraft servicing and refits, before the MoD withdrew. WAG had argued this would be the heart of an aerospace ‘centre of excellence’. No mention was made of the weapons development though WAG’s publicity promised high security conditions. Despite failing to attract significant aerospace work, WAG resolved to carry on when Red Dragon collapsed. The Wales Audit Office blamed a lack of co-operation between the MoD and Welsh Assembly Government for the Red Dragon failure. Whatever the reasons, the advanced aerospace business park, promoted as “capable of generating several thousand skilled and high paid jobs in the long term” has since dwindled to almost nothing. The DARA project based there has shed 2,000 skilled engineering jobs, and the remaining 340 are soon to end. WAG brushes aside this history of failure and their adoption in 2009 of low carbon economic policy, with their St Athan project team under Nicola Goodwin-Bailey still banking on expanding aerospace investment.

How would the development affect perceptions, within and outside Wales?

Welsh politicians have been able to keep their distance from the Iraq invasion, while proudly associating with starting the Greenham women movement in south Wales. There’s a strong stand of peace-making and anti-militarism in Welsh nationalism[14]. Wales would be regarded as being directly associated with providing training for overseas military personnel, including from countries whose regimes have questionable human rights records. Further, in today’s divided world, the high-profile College offers a target for terrorist attack, with St Athan becoming a high surveillance zone. And such a massive military project on Welsh soil goes against the ethos of sustainable development and international citizenship, which the Welsh Assembly claims to espouse.

Public Inquiry into the development project

The WAG rejected calls for a public inquiry under planning law, but could not avoid one over the Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), held Jan/Feb. 2010. Several Welsh organisations including Cynefin y Werin presented cases against the CPOs. The substantial local opposition showed that claims of ‘overwhelming’ public support by consultants (adopted by Rhodri Morgan[15]) were fabricated. Much opposition centred on the huge extent of greenfield development, instead of using land available within the MoD base. Though the numbers of trainees and staff had been scaled down, the size of the development remained unchanged. The Community Council and others argued that instead of a new northern access road through meadows and disturbing housing, a direct access via West Camp is feasible. The Inspector’s report was completed last March, but WAG and the MoD are delaying publication, raising concerns about the legal process has been subordinated to the government’s development interests. Has the Inspector decided that the CPOs cannot all be said to be ‘necessary in the public interest’ – especially the linked Weycock Cross road junction development – so are they trying to fix the problem in secret[16]?

Will the down-scaled project be cut in the Strategic Defence Review?

The severe down-scaling of the whole St Athan project (from 6000 to 2700 or even 2000 trainee places) removes the logic for a new College requiring nearly £1 billion investment. There’s a generous £830.5 million capital for the College itself[17], including quality housing and extravagant sports facilities (Table below), plus roads and infrastructure at up to £60M[18]. Instead, the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering could stay at Cosford airbase and the integrated training be provided at the empty Blandford base[19]. The Navy’s training base is already planned to stay at Gosport till at least 2020. Upgrading Cosford and Blandford’s facilities for the reduced numbers is relatively cheap. Expectations from selling off other MoD land for development have been hit by the Credit Crunch[20].

Nevertheless, Defence Minister Nick Harvey (Commons answer[21] to Mark Pritchard MP of 5^th July) showed no intention to genuinely review the scheme. He spoke of “obvious synergy” with other work at St Athan and that any change would “add considerably to the final cost”. The first is false as DARA work and workforce is rapidly disappearing from St Athan[22]. The second prejudges the review.

Metrix Lobbying via PR firm, Bell Pottinger

Private Eye has disclosed a lobby campaign[23] aimed at Ministers in the new government. Their “congratulation letters” to re-elected MPs promised a “series of good-news events if DTC goes ahead” and “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”. Evidently Metrix and their PR company (Bell Pottinger) hit their target as Dennis Anderson (Treasury replacement for David Laws) and Defence Minister Nick Harvey are down to attend the Metrix dinner at the Lib Dem Party conference, hosted by the Welsh leader Kirsty Williams AM.

Chris Bryant MP and Alun Cairns MP have set up a cross-party parliamentary group to lobby for Metrix, while Chris Bryant admits to taking £2,500 for election expenses from Bell Pottinger. Both are reportedly hosting dinners for Metrix at their respective Party conferences.

Opposition to privatisation

The Defence Training Review started with the aim of integrating trainees across the services, but was pushed by government down the PFI road. At the time, this kept spending off the balance sheet and raised capital for new facilities from the market. The accounting loophole has now been plugged and PFI has been exposed as often giving poor value. The next biggest PFI within the MoD has over 50% going on profits and finance costs[24]. The union representing training staff, PCS, wants defence training to remain in the public sector, pointing to the record from privatising military services in the USA that shows (Blackwater) a lack of accountability to government and abuse of human rights. Privatisation risks the quality of training[25]. An MoD risk assessment leaked to Private Eye revealed that the project poses serious risks to the front line: “trained output could fail to meet requirement of operational commands “, “there is a risk that Metrix will not be able to deliver the numbers of suitably trained personnel that are required and/or that the training output is not to a sufficiently high standard.” Private Eye reported[26] opposition of top military staff: “I was very impressed by the training facilities” wrote Air Vice-Marshal Nick Kurth after a visit to Cosford, “with a good mix of traditional hands-on work, for which there is ultimately no substitute, to the relatively high-end computer based simulation where appropriate and I question what further level of innovation that Metrix are going to bring to our extant training regime”. His worries echo concerns that Metrix will substitute cheaper computer simulation in place of the practice with military kit. Training staff are now drawn from serving personnel retiring after years of experience, and they would mostly not move to St Athan.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Table of Construction Expenditure for DTC Expenditure by category of development	£ million
DTC Training Facilities	96
SLA (Single Living) Accommodation	240
SFA (Service Family Accommodation) Housing (483 units)	130.5
Recreation and shopping facilities (crèche, shops, post office, tailor, bars, car hire centre, community centre, etc.)	3
Leisure centre and sporting facilities	32
Museum	23
Hotel (150 bed)	12
Church	3.5
Messes, kitchens, office facilities, facilities for bands (marching bands), headquarters building, estate support buildings (deliveries, waste centre, pass office) infrastructure elements (energy centre) medical, dental.	421
Total	830.5

[1] Compiled with information not readily available, from Metrix exhibitions in the locality and other details from Barry & Vale Friends of the Earth group, from documents to the CPO Public Inquiry (Jan-Feb. 2010) and from the PCS Union who monitor the project from a critical position on behalf of their membership (trainer staff etc.). Some is at and

[1] St Athan Defence Training Academy and the Future of Wales Cynefin y Werin pamphlet by Stuart Tannock, 2007, available at ; saw the Academy (now renamed Technical College) as a step towards the privatisation of war activities. Analogies have been drawn with the School of Americas (John Pilger http://www.antimetrix.org/). Metrix would train not just the British military - forces from around the world, including Pakistan, Malaysia and more dodgy regimes could be trained in Wales.

[2] Raytheon produce Tomahawk missiles that deliver cluster munitions and depleted Uranium shells.

[3] http://cleanupsodexo.org/, http://www.seiu.org/2010/09/human-rights-watch-report-sodexo-violates-workers-rights.php

[4] Package-1 includes training in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, communications and information systems; Package-2 covered logistics, photography, joint police and personnel admin, security, languages and intelligence.

[5] Western Mail 20 August 2010, www.walesonline.co.uk/.../question-over-st-athan-plan-as-predicted-costs-rise-3bn-91466-27100062/. On 6th Sept. 2010, the Minister stated the “increase in costs since 2008 results from the substantial increased cost of finance, increased provision for risk, and the changed assumption for inflation throughout the life of the project”, implying much of the increase is special to PFI financing.

[6] Nick Harvey The current estimate of the cost of the Defence Training Rationalisation Package 1 Project is £14 billion compared to the £12 billion reported on 10 September 2008, Hansard, column 1807W. 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, the majority of which we already carry today. The increase in costs since 2008 results from the substantial increased cost of finance, increased provision for risk, and the changed assumption for inflation throughout the life of the project.

[7] MoD website on the DTR The Telegraph commented (7 Aug.2010) “Apart from politicians' serious doubts about their value to the taxpayer, PFIs tie the Government into high capital costs which must be paid back regularly. That means no flexibility to spend less in years when there is a need to save money.” < www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/7931900/20bn-defence-contracts-face-axe.html>

[8] 24 Feb.2009: www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1154863/Ministry-Defence-spends-40m-ailing-contract.html. On 25 Feb.2010 the FT reported £32m underwriting risk

[9] Cabinet update, Jan. 2010 http://wales.gov.uk/docs//dfm/minutes/cabinet/100304stathanen.doc

[10] £240M on SLA (single living accommodation) and £130.5M on service family housing out of a total of £830.5M (Table above)

www.antimetrix.org/2009/02/state-underwrites-st-athan-defences-pfi.html . Another £60m on roads and infrastructure is to be shared 50/50 MoD/WAG

[11]

[12] Metrix’s breakdown of numbers (Inquiry doc. CD 5B.7) shows totals rounded up compared with figures given in March 2009 presentations (below, in brackets[ ]): Project staff numbers are

● Metrix staff in Facilities and Estates 910 [865], include security, transport, catering, as well as project management and training management transferred to St Athan

● Civilian Trainer staff to be transferred from existing training centres number 900 [735]

They also count Military staff seconded to the project at 700 [655].

The Project staff numbers total 2510 [2255]. To make up the 3000 total ‘jobs’, non-Project numbers are included (F&E 130, Training services 50, Military 310). These non-Project staff include the military band and Museum staff, and are existing posts transferring to St Athan. The Entec Final Economic Impact Report May 2009, Table 1.4 contains similar numbers to Inquiry doc. CD 5B.7.

[13] Of the 700 military staff, 550 are expected to need family accommodation. Taking a similar fraction (80%) of all transferees with families and each bringing 0.6-1 spouses/older children seeking work results in12-1900 jobseekers.

[14] Robin Gwyndaf, Na i Academi Filwrol – Ie i Academi Heddwch [No to a Military Academy – Yes to a Peace Academy], Cymod (Newsletter Cymdeithas y Cymod yng Nghymru – FoR in

Wales

), p.4, Spring 2009.

[15] March 2009 http://www.plasticductwork.com/news/2009/03/27/public-is-backing-brilliant-mod-st-athan-project/

[16] http://www.antimetrix.org/2010/07/missisng-report-from-st-athan-cpo.html

[17] Table 4.9, Economic Impact Report Draft May09v2, Entec UK, reproduced above

[18] 12 May 2009, Minister’s statement. http://wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2009/stathan/?lang=en

[19] Information from the Trades Union PCS who represent the trainer-staff and have given information for this Briefing Mr H O’Harney; the alternative said to require upgrading at 9 bases is Metrix misinformation.

[20] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1054862/Credit-Crunch-hits-11bn-Forces-deal-development-land-value-plummets.html#ixzz0xpCvYERv

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

“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.”

[22] At the CPO Inquiry when questioned on ‘synergy’, Nicola Goodwin-Bailey, Head of Planning (WAG E&T) claimed “complementarity”, quoting the WAG Minister’s statement of 24 March 2006, saying their Aerospace plans were complementary and would go ahead “whatever the outcome of the DTR bid”. She admitted the DTC (Training College) did not have the “synergies” seen originally with the DARA aircraft maintenance and refitting work. Her evidence said (Appendix 4) the loss of DARA would “seriously weaken” the ABP and “could lose critical mass” (s.4.4) and “if DARA were to fail... undermine the credibility of the aerospace park… remove a major reason for other companies to locate there” (6.6a(i)). That has indeed happened, as only one company (Bond) remains on site.

[23] PFI In a Spin, Private Eye 4^th August 2010

[24] HoC Public Accounts Committee. Delivering Multi-Role Tanker Aircraft Capability www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmpubacc/425/42503.htm

[25] http://www.antimetrix.org/2009/07/troops-inferior-training-witn-new.html

[26] http://bp1.blogger.com/_56mi7w2JT1E/SHTRFB-nTvI/AAAAAAAAFtA/DGby-E6A8ew/s1600-h/top+brassed+off.gif

Kirsty Williams hosts Bell Pottinger dinner for access

2010-09-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

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.