Alun's boiling point
228 words
24 January 2010
Wales on Sunday , Page: 16
(c) Western Mail and Echo Ltd, 2010.
I AMgetting increasingly concerned about the health of one of the Assembly's senior politicians.
Alun Cairns, the Shadow Local Government Minister, seems to be getting angrier and more agitated in the Senedd as each week goes by. As government ministers make their announcements, he has a tendency of shaking his head rapidly, getting redder in the face as he shouts them down.
I watched from the public benches at the Senedd in fascination last week as he got more and more furious at Carwyn Jones over the issue of boiler scrappage schemes, shouting, pointing, shouting a bit more and looking on the point of spontaneously combusting.
And that was on the subject of boiler scrappage schemes - a subject that wouldn't provoke the same amount of rage and fury among somebody who had spent their entire life in the boiler industry.
This took place in the Senedd, a relatively sedate debating arena where over-exuberance earns a rapid slapdown from the Presiding Officer.
Mr Cairns is standing in the Vale of Glamorgan at the general election, a seat he is likely to win.
In an atmosphere such as the House of Commons, where such apoplexy and bluster is positively encouraged, I rather fear he'll last two weeks before either exploding or actually shaking his head off entirely.
Please calm down Alun.

£29 million contract for armed forces academy project approved

Jan 11 2010 WalesOnline

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CLEARING work can begin for a £12 billion armed forces academy after a contract to prepare the site was approved, the consortium behind the project said today.

An early works contract worth £29 million was awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the defence technical college at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

An RAF training school will be moved temporarily as part of the first stage of work. Buildings will be demolished and ecological work for protected bats and newts that live on the site will be carried out later.

A final decision on whether to go ahead with the academy is unlikely to be taken before the general election, ministers indicated recently.

The Defence Training Review (DTR), which would create the new college, would be one of the biggest private finance initiative deals if the Government gave it the green light.

But Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell told MPs last week that an investment decision, originally due in spring last year, will not be taken until the summer.

The Defence Technical College (DTC) will provide specialist non-combat training for all three services on a 1,000-acre site, with up to 3,000 students present at a time.

Planning consent was granted by local councillors last September. Supporters have hailed it as an opportunity to bring thousands of jobs to the area.

Tom Anderson, commercial director of the Metrix consortium – which will build and run the college – said: “The early works contract provides Metrix with a year’s head start on an important body of site preparation activities, meaning that when the overall DTR Package 1 Project contract is signed work can begin immediately on the full-scale construction of the defence technical college.”

Mr Rammell said: “The DTR programme will transform the future of Armed Forces training, while delivering real cost savings.

“Previously, the Navy, Army and RAF would provide separate training courses. This will now be rationalised and all technical training will be delivered from our new Defence Technical College – a move that will make the most effective use of our training staff.”

Vale of Glamorgan MP John Smith said: “This is great news for the Welsh economy and shows yet again this government’s commitment to the future of St Athan.

“This is a major milestone which takes us closer to the delivery of the project at St Athan.”

Cameron: My answers for the people of Wales

Jan 9 2010 by David Williamson, Western Mail

CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron yesterday set out his general election stall to Welsh voters during an online grilling by Western Mail readers.

The potential Prime Minister turned his guns on the UK Government for not making a decision on the £13bn Defence Training College in St Athan ahead of this year’s general election.

He did not pledge to support the landmark project – predicted to create more than 2,000 jobs – but condemned Labour’s stance as “disingenuous”.

In the live internet question and answer question during his visit to Wales he also revealed:

As Prime Minister he would keep the position of a Secretary of State for Wales;

he was standing by senior adviser Steve Hilton – despite the revelation he had been fined following a dispute at a ticket barrier; and while he would support a referendum on law-making powers for the National Assembly he could give no guarantee a Tory Government would facilitate a vote this autumn.

Lambasting the UK Government for not announcing whether or not it would centralise all UK Armed Forces training at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan in advance of the general election, he said: “We recognise the importance of this project and totally see the logic of bringing together these services. I think the Government is being disingenuous with their announcement.

“They are still the Government and they have had plenty of time to make a decision about this. After all, the Vale of Glamorgan council granted planning permission for the scheme last September.

“We will have a proper strategic defence review if we win the election.”

His comments last night drew a vociferous response from Labour Rhondda MP Chris Bryant. He said: “He’s the man who’s been refusing to sign on the dotted line. He’s the person committed to swingeing cuts. “He’s the person who’s been saying that in this present year we should be making cuts.”

Mr Bryant was adamant the proposed training centre – which was suggested as a possible target for cuts by Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable last year – would save money.

He added: “It wouldn’t save any money not to do it, which is why I think Vince Cable was so daft when he said what he said and why I think Cameron and the Tories have not understood the situation.”

Mr Cameron used his interview to say he had confidence in Steve Hilton, the Conservative director of strategy who was this week revealed to have been arrested and fined £80 after a dispute at a train station in 2008.

He said: “His behaviour was wrong. He has apologised. And I am prepared to leave it at that.”

Meanwhile, Mr Cameron said he would not rule out taking military action against Iran to stop the country joining the nuclear club.

He said: “We should not rule things out but we must first try dialogue as President Obama is currently doing and if this fails we should implement very tough sanctions. It’s important that all European countries join in these endeavours and that we persuade both the Russians and Chinese that a nuclear armed Iran would be a cause of great instability.”

He also stressed the need to ensure that all the countries taking part in the military effort in Afghanistan fully signed up to a “common strategy and programme”.

When asked if a Conservative Government would ensure the swift passage of the necessary legislation to support an autumn referendum on law-making powers for the Assembly he was non-committal.

“I said quite recently that if the Assembly asks for a referendum on law-making powers then a Conservative Government would allow that to happen,” he said. “This is an important decision. But I can’t give you precise timing.”

Plaid Cymru AM Helen Mary Jones said yesterday she was disappointed by the response. The full commitment of a Westminster Government was needed in order for the legislation to successfully make its way through Parliament, she said. “It isn’t enough to have a Westminster Government that says it won’t get in the way.”

She said Mr Cameron needed to show potential Conservative voters his Government would have the commitment to “make it happen”.

Mr Cameron strongly denied that measures to cut the deficit would kill off hopes of growth as the country pulls out of the recession.

He said: “I don’t believe that getting to grips with the appalling budget deficit and getting the economy growing are alternatives – one depends on the other. Even the Chancellor admitted that this week. “If we don’t deal with the deficit the danger is that interest rates, mortgage rates and taxes will all have to rise and that would wreck the recovery.”

Rejecting the suggestion that this would lead to a fall in employment levels, he said: “As I have said, I think the risk of higher unemployment would arise if we don’t deal with the deficit. That view is now being backed by the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development], the Bank of England and an increasing number of economists.”

He insisted it was also right to reduce the number of MPs, saying: “I think that we should cut the size of the House of Commons by 10% and reduce the cost of politics. After all, we are going to be asking other parts of the public sector to find efficiencies and cost savings so why should politics be any different?

“Clearly. this must apply in Wales as elsewhere.”

He also stood by proposals from Conservative members of the Assembly to end universal free prescriptions and free school breakfasts, saying: “This is devolution and it is their decision. By returning to modest prescription charges for those who can afford to pay, Welsh Conservatives will put more money into hospices and stroke services.”

When asked what a Conservative administration would do to combat binge-drinking, he said: “We need to stop the deep discounting of drinks by supermarkets and a thorough reform of the Licensing Act – we’ll do both.”

Aircraft maintenance base to close with mass job losses as VC10 is phased out

1 December 2009
The Western Mail , Page: 24

HUNDREDS of skilled workers at an aircraft maintenance base in Wales are facing a bleak Christmas after an announcement that it is set to close.

Up to 339 jobs are likely to be lost at the Large Aircraft Business Unit (LABU), which is operated by the Defence Support Group on the MoD St Athan site in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.

The announcement was made in the House of Commons by junior defence minister Quentin Davies.

The operation, which is currently based in the "Super Hangar" at the site, could close by June 2013 at the latest as the ageing VC10 aircraft it services are phased out.

Mr Davies told MPs that 200 jobs could be lost over the next 12 months, with the remaining 139 staff leaving by no later than June 2013. He said the Ministry of Defence had begun consultation with trades unions on the proposals.

An MoD source said that while it was hoped the jobs could be lost through voluntary redundancies compulsory job losses "can't be ruled out".

Workers were briefed on the announcement by managers at the site but were not available for comment. The announcement has shocked the village of St Athan where confidence and optimism has been high since the announcement that the multi-billion-pound Defence Technical College is to be built on the former RAF St Athan base, with the creation of up to 5,000 jobs. The consultation process will last until January 6. Mr Davies told MPs other options for the future of the base were not viable. The last major maintenance on the RAF's VC10 tanker fleet will be completed by December next year and contract activity will decrease by 70%.

Minor maintenance will continue to be carried out until the St Athan facility is closed, he said.

Alana Davies, Labour's parliamentary candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan, said: "We must not lose these skills from the Vale, and most importantly we must support these men and women, and their families, who may be facing redundancy."

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price said: "This comes as a dreadful shock and will be awful news to hundreds of workers at the base in St Athan, especially coming at this time of year. The timing, just before Christmas, is almost scandalous."

More than 300 jobs to go at aircraft maintenance base

Dec 1 2009 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

MORE than 300 jobs are to go at a South Wales aircraft maintenance base.

The shock announcement was described as a “devastating” blow to workers and their families in the run-up to Christmas.

Up to 339 skilled workers are likely to lose their jobs at the large aircraft business unit, which is operated by the Defence Support Group on the MoD St Athan site.

The neighbouring village had been celebrating work starting on a £14bn defence college before the announcement was made in the House of Commons by junior defence minister Quentin Davies yesterday.

The operation, which is currently based in the so-called super-hangar at the site, could close by June 2013 as the ageing VC10 aircraft it services are phased out.

Mr Davies told MPs 200 jobs could be lost over the next 12 months with the remaining 139 staff leaving by no later than June 2013.

He said the Ministry of Defence had begun consultation with trade unions on the proposals and said the option of transferring St Athan staff to other Defence Support Group sites would be “maximised”.

An MoD source said while it was hoped jobs could be lost through voluntary redundancies, compulsory job losses “can’t be ruled out”.

Workers were briefed by managers at the site but were not available for comment yesterday.

However, it is understood the news came as a shock to St Athan, where confidence and optimism have been high since the announcement that the multi-billion-pound Defence Technical College is to be built at the former RAF St Athan base with the creation of up to 5,000 jobs.

Roy Fenton, landlord of the Four Bells Inn, said: “This is scandalous. It is devastating news for the village and, of course, for the people who work there.

“Some of them are my regulars and this is terrible news just before Christmas.

“One of the workers usually comes in here on a Monday after work. He hasn’t tonight after this announcement.

“Everyone here has been excited and confident since it was announced that the defence academy was coming here. This has put a damper on that. It has come as a shock.”

A villager who asked not to be named said: “To be honest, this has been coming. But it is a shock just the same, particularly since we have all be so upbeat about the defence college coming here.

“They were to move to the super- hangar from their hangars known as the twin peaks.

“It was expected that they would move back to the twin peaks to make the super-hangar available for the defence college. Obviously that is not now going to happen.”

The consultation process will now last until January 6.

Vale AM Jane Hutt called on the MoD to secure new contracts for the workforce in St Athan.

Following a meeting with Gavin Toker, workforce convener for the Unite union at St Athan, Ms Hutt said: “This highly-skilled workforce must be supported as new defence contracts are sought.”

Vale MP John Smith said: “This is disappointing news for the workers at St Athan and their families, particularly at this time of the year.

“I am calling on the new Welsh First Minister and the Ministry of Defence to work hand in hand to ensure the vital skills sets of the workers are retained in Wales for the future success of the £12bn Defence Technical College at the site and related aerospace developments in Wales.”

Alana Davies, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the Vale, said: “We must not lose these skills from the Vale and, most importantly, we must support these men and women and their families who may be facing redundancy.”

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price said: “This comes as a dreadful shock and will be awful news to hundreds of workers at the base in St Athan, especially coming at this time of year. The timing, just before Christmas, is almost scandalous.”

Plaid candidate for the Vale, Dr Ian Johnson, said: “It is all very well John Smith talking about the so-called thousands of jobs that will arrive in the Vale if the Defence Technical College is built but for those of us who live in the real world, these are real people and real jobs that are being lost and the pain will be felt around the Vale.”

Vale councillor Rhodri Traherne, cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, said: “Any job losses, particularly in this very deep recession, are a tragedy for those affected and their families and I very much hope that any compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum.”

Alun's boiling point

£29 million contract for armed forces academy project approved

Cameron: My answers for the people of Wales

Aircraft maintenance base to close with mass job losses as VC10 is phased out

More than 300 jobs to go at aircraft maintenance base

Call to keep hunting ban