The Aerospace Business Park a 'dog's breakfast

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 keep saying this and so duid the auditor some years ago..but they never learn.. 
THE Welsh Assembly Government has spent £43 million developing the Aerospace Business Park at St Athan so far, but not a single job has been created there, an AM claims.

Calling the situation a “dog’s breakfast,” South Wales Central AM Andrew Davies this week questioned what the taxpayer has to show for his money.

In a series of questions to Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, Minister for transport and the economy, Mr Davies, who is a Conservative regional member, asked how much WAG had spent on land acquisition, professional fees and general development costs for the Aerospace Business Park, as distinct from money spent in preparation for the Defence Technical College scheme which is on hold.

“I was told that two sums had been spent – £19.2m and £24.7m, bringing the total to just under £44m,” he reported.

“It took the minister a month to actually answer the question and as I specifically asked a question about the Aerospace Park, with no mention of the Defence Technical College, I am assuming that the overall figure relates just to the park.

“But there seems to be a lot of uncertainty at the Assembly about this. Nobody seems to have a handle on it.

“It was a simple enough question – how much money have you spent? I was not asking how many shovels they had bought or how many envelopes had been used. This was their answer.”

He also asked how many jobs will have been created by 2015 and when the first business would move into the park.

The reply from Ieuan Wyn Jones, who is also the deputy first minister, said that they were highlighting the benefits of St Athan to potential investors, based on the facilities available and the strong skills base. A number of investment leads had been generated.

Pressed by Mr Davies about how many leads, he further replied on Monday that since 2008, there have been 10 expressions of interest of which eight are still live.

Mr Davies said it would appear that there was nothing to show as yet for the expenditure of £43m.

“This is a huge sum of public money spent on a project which has not delivered one single job to the economy either of the Vale or south Wales.

He continued: “It was six years ago that the Aerospace Business Park was first proposed by WAG, in response to the announcement by DARA that it was closing down its operation at St Athan with the loss of 3,000 jobs.

“The Aerospace Business Park was supposed to replace some of those jobs and give the highly-skilled workers at DARA alternative employment. But the last of the DARA jobs are going this month and there are no new jobs for people to move across to.

“My fear is that the skills base we had here in Llantwit and St Athan will disperse and it will not be possible to lure in aerospace companies by saying that there is a skilled workforce locally. Those people will have gone to jobs elsewhere in the country.”

Mr Davies stated that he had grave reservations about the way in which the ABP had been promoted by WAG, as there are no prospects of new jobs at the moment.

He said: “I want to know how committed they are to this project. The later decision to site the Defence Technical College at St Athan has clouded the issue. The truth is that ABP was a stand-alone project which was announced two years before the college.

“But we have nothing to show in this area after six years and the spending of more than £40m.”

It seemed “incredible” that not one civilian aerospace firm had been enticed to the site, despite the presence of suitable facilities, a highly skilled workforce, and the spending of a lot of public money.

Mr Davies pointed out that the area had lost the “critical mass” of skilled workers, and now potential investors must wonder if they will be able to recruit the engineers and others they need.

He added that what had happened was a betrayal of the aspirations and hopes that local people had in 2004.

“It’s a dog’s breakfast We have spent this money and there’s nothing to show for it.”

He has asked WAG if there’s a fall-back position for St Athan if the ABP comes to nothing, but Ieuan Wyn Jones gave no details of other economic regeneration plans for the area and said they would continue to promote the benefits of St Athan to potential investors.

“There is obviously no Plan B,” added Mr Davies. “The ABP was the Welsh Assembly Government’s response to the loss of the DARA jobs, but nothing else has been done if that fails.

“It would appear that we have lost the DARA jobs and there is nothing available to replace them – and nothing in the pipeline. There is no fall-back position either. It’s the worst of all worlds.”

Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones told Mr Davies that the government remained committed to the business park, which was a phased development over the next 20 years, subject to market demand.

He said that the scale and shape of the ABP may need to be reviewed once the Ministry of Defence plans for St Athan are revealed in the spring.

The GEM asked the Welsh Assembly Government for a comment on the position but at the time of going to press, nothing had been received.







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

Aerospace and St Athan dithering

The Record of Proceedings Dydd Mawrth, 11 Ionawr 2011 Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Andrew R.T. Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. Do you share my concern at the lack of progress on the Welsh Assembly Government’s aerospace park at St Athan? In answer to a question, the Minister for the Economy and Transport confirmed that £44 million in Welsh Assembly Government money has been spent on the aerospace park—not the defence training academy—which was announced as a direct consequence of the closure of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency facility at St Athan. There has been no progress to date on job-creation in that aspect of the Welsh Assembly Government’s economic portfolio. When can the residents of St Athan and Llantwit Major expect to see progress on this important scheme?

The First Minister: I am now even more amazed. In order for the business park to prosper, there needs to be a decision on the rest of the site. The dithering of the UK Government and its failure to make a decision are frustrating our ability to offer long-term certianty to potential tenants. If you are a prospective tenant, you want to know what else is going to go there. Until we have a decision from the UK Government, and we until we have some clarity for the people of St Athan, Llantwit Major and the Vale of Glamorgan, it is going to be very difficult for us to attract tenants to the park. We have made our investment and we now need to see a commitment from the UK Government and the Ministry of Defence to deliver on what they said that they would deliver—a training facility at St Athan. Let us hear it. ..................

Andrew RT Davies AM
You will have heard my question to the First Minister about the aerospace park in St Athan. I am concerned about the issues that are being raised regarding the aerospace park and the link to the defence training academy, and also the various planning inspectors’ reports that relate to the northern access road. There is a whole host of issues surrounding this development, and a statement from the Deputy First Minister as to how the Welsh Assembly Government is progressing its side of the development in St Athan, given that it was an announcement in response to the loss of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency jobs, would be greatly appreciated by the local community in order to understand the way forward.

Jane Hutt: In relation to your important first point, there is a forthcoming statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services on the review of those who have been infected by contaminated blood. I completely concur with you on your second point—we need an update on the St Athan situation from the UK Government. I understand that a response is due from the UK Government in March. I have had correspondence, which I am happy to share with you, from the UK Government Minister. The Deputy First Minister will also issue a statement on St Athan in relation to Welsh Assembly Government responsibilities. On the third point, the regulations on the kennelling of dogs will be handled in the usual way, as regulations always are.

Drummer boy for Metrix John Smith told to resign

Labour MP told to resign over £57k expenses claim WalesOnline - United Kingdom VALE of Glamorgan Labour MP John Smith last night faced a call for his resignation after it was alleged he claimed nearly £58000 in second home expenses ... Following a rule change in April 2008 that required receipts for expenditure over £25, he submitted London home claims for £231 from Ikea and £140 from homeware store The Range, both from branches in Cardiff. The Ikea receipt reveals he claimed £11.98 on a Njuta bath robe, £7.99 for a Skanka pan, £90 for Lycksele Murbo mattress, two £7.99 Hultet beaded drapes and £4.99 on a rimless picture frame with clips. His claim from The Range included £69.99 on a set of table and chairs, £3.49 on an "onion garland" and £15.49 on a print by artist Cory Silken called Rugosa. Mr Smith also twice attempted to claim the cost of Christmas cards on his office expenses. He first tried to bill the £295 cost of seasonal cards in November 2004 but was rejected by House of Commons officials. He tried again for £305 the following year and was again rejected. However, he successfully claimed £352.50 in legal bills for a dispute over his constituency office rent, submitting an invoice from a firm of solicitors in Caerphilly. John Smith Job: Labour MP for Vale of Glamorgan Salary: £64,766 Total second home claims 2004-05: £20,620 2005-06: £20,862 2006-07: £22,110 2007-08: £23,083 Total expenses 2007-08: £148,514 Rate of attendance at votes: 48 per cent Vale MP John Smith defends himself over expenses allegations Barry and District News - Wales,UK By Elinor Cross » VALE MP John Smith has defended himself against allegations that he exploited the mps' expenses system, after details of his claims were ... Vale MP fights for his reputation after expenses allegations Glamorgan Gem - ‎5 hours ago‎ VALE MP John Smith is under attack after a newspaper story alleging that he had claimed almost £58000 over four years, without submitting receipts. ... MPs' expenses: John Smith claimed £57,955 without submitting a single receipt Telegraph...An MP claimed £57,955 in second home expenses in four years without submitting a single receipt. John Smith, a Labour backbencher, took advantage of generous allowances to claim an average of £14,488 a year – more than the average salary of a minimum wage worker– without providing evidence of any spending. When he eventually made a claim backed up by a receipt, it was for home furnishings including a vase, a frying pan, a bath robe, beaded drapes and poster art. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5413332/MPs-expenses-John-Smith-claimed-57955-without-submitting-a-single-receipt.html Enemies of the People2009 New Labour M.P. John SmithPARASITE 2009 New Labour M.P. John SmithPARASITE. An MP claimed £57955 in second home expenses in four years without submitting a single receipt ...

MPs expenses John Smith claimed £57955 without submitting a single ... MPs expenses John Smith claimed £57955 without submitting a single receipt. An MP claimed £57955 in second home expenses in four years without submitting a ...

MP John Smith defends himself over expenses allegations

7:40am Thursday 4th June 2009

VALE MP John Smith has defended himself against allegations that he exploited the MPs’ expenses system, after details of his claims were published in a national newspaper.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that Mr Smith claimed £86,675 in additional costs expenses over four years – nearly £60,000 of them without the submission of receipts.

The Vale MP did submit receipts for poster art, a bath robe and beaded drapes, according to the article, and claimed £57,955 in running costs without receipts for a London flat over four years. The allegations came two weeks after Mr Smith announced he was standing down at the next election for health reasons.

The Telegraph reported that the MP took advantage of an allowance scheme which, until April last year, entitled ministers to claim the following per month without a receipt: £400 for groceries, £250 for utility bills, £250 for telephone bills, £250 for cleaning, £250 for service and maintenance, and £250 for repairs and insurance.

It was alleged that a House of Commons official wrote to Mr Smith in 2007 to ask if he would submit more specific claims rather than nominal sums. He said: “Ideally we would expect members to claim for actual amounts and not nominal sums.”

According to the Telegraph, Mr Smith continued to claim this way for nine more months – however, Mr Smith denies this.

The MP was also criticised for his attendance at parliament, showing up to only 48 per cent of votes and speaking in only 10 debates in 2007/8 despite claiming £148,514 in overall expenses for that year.

A spokesperson for Mr Smith denied any wrongdoing.

He said: “Mr Smith is devastated and repudiates allegations that he has exploited the parliamentary expenses system following an article in the Sunday Telegraph, which has appeared since he announced his retirement on health grounds two weeks ago.

“Historically, Mr Smith has been one of the lowest claimants of parliamentary expenses.

“He does not own a second home, he has never claimed for any luxury goods and all the money he has claimed over the years has gone towards meeting the cost of living and working in London, and not for personal gain.

“Mr Smith is committed to transparency and will publish his expenses in full, as soon as is practicable. “A number of allegations were made in the Sunday Telegraph which he did not have an opportunity to respond to,” added the spokesman.

“Mr Smith was accused of claiming Additional Cost Allowance between 2004 and 2008 without submitting receipts.

“Under the rules at the time, no receipts were required and all Mr Smith’s claims were cleared by the Commons Authority and were within the existing rules.

“Contrary to what was alleged in the newspaper article, in July 2007, when the Commons Authority wrote to Mr Smith informing him that he could no longer continue to claim in this way, he immediately changed his claims to meet the new requirements.”

He continued: “In April 2008 Mr Smith moved to an unfurnished bedsit in Pimlico and purchased some modestly priced items of furniture, including a table and two chairs and a sofa bed, and submitted receipts as required under further rule changes.

“Not all the items on the receipts referred to in the newspaper article were claimed for.

“Contrary to what was said in the Telegraph, it is untrue that Mr Smith submitted a bill for legal costs over a dispute with the landlord over his constituency office – in actual fact this was a standard commercial charge for drawing up a lease.”

In response to calls by Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidate for the Vale, Dr Ian Johnson, for Mr Smith to stand down immediately, the spokesman added: “It seems that political opponents in the Vale of Glamorgan are trying to damage Mr Smith’s reputation by linking the timing of his retirement announcement with the expenses furore.

“Nothing could be further from the truth – Mr Smith has been advised by his doctor not to stand for re-election, and he is following that advice.”

Note

Geoff Hoon of privatise the army fame amongst many of his sins

Geoff Hoon resigns as pressure mounts on Gordon Brown - Telegraph

5 Jun 2009 ... Geoff Hoon has become the fifth Cabinet minister to resign in a week as Gordon Brown battles to maintain his authority.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/gordon.../Geoff-Hoon-resigns-as-pressure-mounts-on-Gordon-Brown.html

tory leader on st athan pfi

Tory leader Cameron addresses Barry public

Barry and District News, UK - 21 Feb 2009

When asked about the suitability of American contractors bidding for St Athan, he replied: "We have a close relationship with America. The government has made a complete mess of the contract - they have struggled to put one foot in front of the other.

"But the last thing we need to do is launch a wave of nationalism."

more recent news

Politicians at war over St Athan defence training academy
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 19 Feb 2009
FEARS over “Olympics-style” spiralling costs at the £13bn Defence Technical Academy have been raised by politicians in a furious row over the St Athan-based ...

Armed forces' £12bn PFI training plan 'jeopardised by economic crisis'
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 8 Feb 2009
A £12 billion plan to contract out armed forces training, in the Government's biggest ever private finance initiative, has been jeopardised by the economic ...

Credit crisis puts £12bn MoD training project in jeopardy
guardian.co.uk, UK - 8 Feb 2009
The government's biggest private finance initiative, a multibillion-pound plan to hive-off training for the armed forces, is in trouble, subject to delays, ...

Misleading DTR coverage

Last week the BBC published an article about the Defence Training Review (DTR). It was entitled '£12bn military academy 'on track'. The article was quite biased and lacking in research. Chris Ames sums it up very well here. Chris Ames (also runs the Iraq dossier website.)

Back to the article which doesn’t mention that the project is already delayed and over budget nor the fact that Qinetiq, the equal equity partner along with Sodexho, are themselves experiencing difficulties. See the following articles:
The Cost of Privatisation
Qinetiq Prepares to Tighten Finances

I won’t go into whether or not the 5000 jobs figure is accurate, but that number of ‘new’ jobs won’t be created at the base. The jobs are already held by Civil Servants around the country who will be expected to relocate to Wales or lose their jobs.

Many of the trainers will be unable to relocate to Wales and the loss of these skilled trainers will put Defence Training and front line troops at risk.

In addition to the above there is the question of putting the Defence of the United Kingdom in the hands of private companies that are ultimately out to make a profit for their shareholders. A further risk is that the companies involved may get taken over by a non-British organisation which could generate a conflict of interest between corporate aims and loyalties and national security.

You may also be interested in this article entitled ‘The Ministry and the Media'

supporter of Academy

I remain supportive of the principle of the Academy, especially as the
economic stimulus it would provide is much needed now.
However, as it is not a constituency issue, I am not
aware of the current details.

With regard to public sector investment, I am a keen supporter of public/private sector
partnerships.  There is no debate scheduled but, if any significant events occur in
relation to it, there would bound to be a Ministerial statment.

Jenny Randerson

John Smith MP drummer boy for METRIX

Parliamentary clash

Mark Pritchard continues to badger the government on the rising cost of DTR. He submitted a written question:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secr etary of State for Defence on the implications for Wales of the defence training review programme

The reply from the government was:

The St. Athan Defence Training Academy is a very important project for Wales. The substantial investment of Package 1 will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs both during construction and from 2013, when construction is completed.

On the 28^th January the following oral exchange was recorded in Hansard:

Mark Pritchard (Wrekin)

John Smith has claimed many times that hundreds of jobs will come to Wales as a result of the defence training review programme, but the programme has rising costs and increasing delays. Indeed, in his desperation, the hon. Gentleman visited the Prime Minister this week, even though the latter has given no assurance that the defence training review will go ahead in Wales. Do we not need an early statement from th e Secretary of State giving us the truth about the project and its rising costs?

Paul Murphy (Secretary of State, Wales Office)

I have had no indication at all that there will be any change of plan as far as that huge investment in Wales is concerned. The Government are committed to it but I am sure that, when the time com es, there will be a proper statement to this House of Commons.

John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan)

Does my right hon. Friend agree that employment levels in south Wales will be greatly improved by the 5,000 jobs brought to the area by the defence technical academy? Does he also agree that it is about time that Opposition Members stopped knocking the project and began pulling together to ensure that it is brought in on time and within budg et?

Paul Murphy (Secretary of State, Wales Office)

That is what we all like to hear. My hon. Friend has been a great champion of the project. When those jobs come to Wales, it will be as a result of the biggest single Government investment in Wales ever.

Clearly John Smith is still playing his role of drummer boy for METRIX, but his figures are as credible as his knowledge of defence training. John Smith recently talked about the need to get away from “chalk and talk” training- it shows how little he knows about the modern training environment. PCS believes not only do his 5,000 jobs include over a 1,000 military posts- which to the public are hardly countable, but also many of the jobs Smith continually mentions are transitory jobs created during the build phase.

“Government ministers need to come clean and declare this project dead”

HOC 11 December 2008 : Parliamentary Debate
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The defence training review is the largest private finance initiative in British history, worth £11 billion-indeed, the costs have increased in the last six months to £12 billion. I seek your advice, Mr. Deputy Speaker, because in today’s Financial Times it was announced that Land Securities Trillium, one of the major backers of the defence training review package, has pulled out of the project altogether. This has major implications for the future training of our armed forces not only in the short term, but in the medium to long term.
Is it not a disgrace that, yet again, the Government hav e chosen to leak this information to the Financial Times rather than bring it to the Floor of the House?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: I can only repeat that Mr. Speaker considers it extremely important that all important matters on which this House should have a view should be brought before the House, but I am sure the hon. Gentleman will find ways to pursue these matters himself, and the points he has made are on the record.

Shropshire Star Article
Great quote from Mark Pritchard MP
“Government ministers need to come clean and declare this project dead”

News reaches manchester too!  Eco home plan bust too!

Just 1700 homes for Deepcut site ?
Get Surrey - Manchester,England,UK
Deepcut was one of the casualties of the MoD’s Defence Training Review, which aims to
close and relocate several Armed Forces bases in the South East.
……Mark Pritchard has demanded a statement from the Ministry of Defence regarding the decision by Land Securities Trillium to withdraw from the Metrix consortium, the lead bidder for the Defence Training Review (DTR). A spokesman on behalf of Trillium stated that the company had invested a considerable amount of money on the project, but due to the significantly increased bid costs which were carried at risk by the bidders they would
now have to withdraw.

New Labour attack Jill Evans

A Welsh unknown New Labour European candidate has attacked Plaid MEP Jill Evans over her opposition to the proposed Defence Training Academy at St Athan.saying Welsh workers should be incensed by her continuing refusal to support these cleaning jobs especially at a time when the global economic crisis means people are facing redundancy.

These minimum wage jobs are vital to the economy of Wales. At a time of serious economic challenges caused by news deregualtion of the markets and the encouragement of unlimited greed ..Plaid is on the side of ordinary working people.

Miss Wagstaff noted

If I were an eager observer of Welsh politics and concerned Labour supporter who cared about my party, what sort of questions would I be asking at this time?

1. Did Labour receive any motion requests for the Llandudno conference in March that called for the Euro selection process to be halted because of concerns over a stitch-up?
2. Was an official European office used for canvassing by candidates, against strict ethics rules? i.e. if a member of her staff called constituency secretaries to check they'd received correspondence and then asked if they would consider supporting them in the selection process it would contravene rules and standards in the European Parliament and the Labour Party.
3. Why were calls for party hustings during the selection process repeatedly refused by Transport House?
4. Does Eluned have any ambitions of being an Assembly Member, now or in the future?

Adam Price for a military academy?

Adam Price MP has a regular column in the weekly news magazine Golwg. That of 13 November was titled Y ddadl o blaid academi filwrol – ‘The debate in favour of a military academy’.

Much of it discusses the history of militarism in Wales, a comparison with the Scots, and the number of Welsh people in the armed forces historically and today. The part about St Athan actually only comes in the final few sentences as follows, with a translation of it below

Yn yr un modd, tra bod protestio yn erbyn polisiau a rhyfeloedd a dulliau ac arfau milwrol yn ddilys, ydi gwrthwynebu academi hyfforddiant (Academi Filwrol Sain Tathan ym Mro Morgannwg) fel y cyfryw yn gwneud synnwyr? Onid natur yr hyfforddiant ddylai fod ffocws ein gwrthwynebiad ni?

Wedi’r cwbl pan ffurfiwyd West Point gan yr Americanwr o Gymro, Thomas Jefferson, academi heddwch oedd ei weledigaeth e. Oni allwn ni ganolbwyntio ar greu, mewn cysylltiad a’r datblygiad hwn, pwyslais newydd a chanolfan rhyngwladol o ragoriaeth mewn ymdrechion i gadw heddwch.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In the same way, while it is correct to protest against military policies and means, against wars and arms, does it make sense to oppose a training academy as such (St Athan Military Training Academy in the Vale of Glamorgan)? Should it not be the nature of the training being provided that forms the focus for our opposition?

After all, when West Point was established by that Welsh American, Thomas Jefferson, his vision was of a peace academy. Can’t we concentrate, in relation to this development, on creating a new emphasis on an international centre of excellence in peace keeping activities.

Costs soaring into stratosphere

3 Nov 2008 : Column 15

Defence Training Review Programme

10. Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con): How much his Department has spent on the defence training review programme to date; and if he will make a statement. [232056]

The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. Bob Ainsworth): Expenditure to date on the defence training review programme is £34.6 million. That includes the expenditure costs of both package 1 and package 2 of the training review programme.

Mark Pritchard: The Minister will know that the defence training review is the largest private finance initiative in British history. It was originally estimated that the cost would be £11 billion, but in the last six months it has risen to £12 billion. Will the Minister confirm whether this programme will go ahead and whether Treasury Ministers have been consulted about the escalating costs?

Mr. Ainsworth: The hon. Gentleman is right that the financial situation has led to cost growth in the programme, but we have worked with Metrix to see how to minimise the costs. I know that this will disappoint the hon. Gentleman greatly because of his constituency interest, but I have to say that the programme is still affordable and remains more affordable than the in-house alternative, so our plans are to go ahead with the programme on the basis of package 1.

David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire) (Lab/Co-op): May I return to the Metrix training contract, in the light of the unsatisfactory answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for Defence, my hon. Friend the Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies)—our new hon. Friend—and, indeed, the answer given to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard)? The contract costs are more than £1 million a day and are soaring into the stratosphere. Will the Minister say whether or not the following quote was well sourced? The defence training review executive board investigated “major affordability issues” that could not be disclosed to the project board as they were “too sensitive”. What is going wrong with the contract?

The Minister for the Armed Forces (Mr. Bob Ainsworth): The costs to which my hon. Friend refers cover the provision of the defence training package over a 30-year programme, so he should not be surprised if some of the figures are high. I am sorry that he found what I said to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) unsatisfactory, but we have re-examined affordability and remain convinced that the package is the best option going forward and that it is better than the in-house alternative in providing the quality of training that we need at a reasonable price—a good price for the taxpayer.

David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire) (Lab/Co-op): Will my hon. Friend the Minister comment on the training implications of the future strike capability of the RAF? In particular, does he think that the Metrix consortium’s contracts to train military personnel over the next 30 years, which have increased in cost by £1 billion, are adequate for the purpose? There seems to be a cabal of private companies locking the taxpayer and the military into a private finance initiative scheme that is costing much more money over the years for a far inferior service to the RAF and other forces.

Mr. Davies: I can assure my hon. Friend that the RAF is clear that the arrangements that we are making for training are indeed adequate for the purpose, to use his phrase.

WAG ministerial steering group on DTA ST ATHAN

Ministerial Steering Group on the Defence Training Academy project at St Athan

Draft Terms of Reference

1. The membership of the group is:

Minister for Enterprise, Innovation & Networks (Chair)
Minister for Education and Life-long Learning.
Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services
(Other Ministers with an interest in any of the agenda items for a meeting of the Steering Group will be invited to attend as appropriate.)
2. The Group’s terms of reference are to:
• lead, monitor and oversee the Assembly Government’s commitments to the MoD and Metrix Consortium to ensure the successful delivery of the Defence Training Academy (DTA) proposals at St Athan in accordance with Metrix’s project timetable;
• coordinate a collective effort across all levels of Government through identifying and ensuring coherence on all policy priority and operational issues that contribute to the realisation of the DTA project;
• facilitate the effective engagement of private and public sector partners on the realisation of the DTA vision for St Athan;
• ensure that the resource allocation process, both financial and staff, reflects the need for cross-portfolio budgeting to meet agreed priorities as set out in the Project Implementation Plan, when known, and that these priorities are tracked against delivery;
3. The Group shall keep its role under review, and shall evaluate its work and the need for its continued existence two years.
4. The Group will meet quarterly, in private unless it resolves otherwise. It will report to the full Cabinet from time to time. It may involve individuals and organisations from outside the Assembly to contribute to its work as appropriate.
5. The Secretariat for the Group will be provided by the Integrated Delivery Team in DEIN. The work of the Group will be supported by the well established St Athan Steering Group of senior officials. This will be expanded to include senior officials from DELLS and Local Government & Finance.
[DOC]

Welsh Assembly Government | Disclosure log 1678
Q: How much WAG/DEIN staff time and at what cost has been dedicated to promoting the development of the St Athan site as a major centre of excellence in the ...

R Morgan
The Ministerial Steering Group I have established and chaired by the Deputy First Minister will ensure a joined up Team Wales approach to delivery of this project. It will meet in November to review progress.

Document Download

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Information Further to Ministerial Answers
Information further to OAQ(3)0092(FM) issued by Brian Gibbons, the Minister for
Social Justice and Local Government, in July 2007
To Andrew R.T. Davies:

....improvements required as a direct result of the proposed developments at St Athan which the
Assembly Government is considering taking forward, namely:
• New Northern access to the St Athan site from the B4265, including consequential
improvements to access around the site;
• Improvements to B4265 at Gilestone Old Mill;
• Improvements to B4265 at the crossroads into St Athan village;
• Waycock Cross junction improvements.

Vale of Glamorgan - SEWEF Construction Skills SEWEF are also in touch with WAG (DEIN) officials regarding the potential afforded by the proposal for a Defence Training College at St. Athan. ...

[PDF] PLANNING GUIDANCE (WALES)File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
INNOVATION AND NETWORKS (DEIN) OF THE WELSH. ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT. 01. ST ..... 4.5.2 The potential of additional jobs being created at RAF St Athan and ...

1. [PDF]CARDIFF COUNCIL CYNGOR CAERDYDD EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING: 17 ...File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
   
   Council through its working relationship with DEIN, as no details were directly ..... St Athan and planned direct access to the M4 its success can only now ...
   
   
2. [PDF] Preferred Strategy: Regulation 15 Statement of Consultation
   File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
   included in the DEIN Property Strategy and therefore direct .... within the plan area (e.g. St Athan, M4 Junction 33. Culverhouse Cross); ...
   
3. [PDF] Bridgend Regeneration Strategy
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   Department of Enterprise, Innovation & Networks (DEIN), commissioned SQW Consulting .... to also look outwards e.g. around the impact of St.Athan ...

MOD on St Athan

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/31D096E9-3F41-4633-BEA2-AE62CF97C3AE/0/annrptvol1_200708.pdf

234 We continued to make progress on Package 1 of the Defence Training Review (see
paragraph 297 under People) to deliver training for all three Services at a new site
at St Athan in South Wales. The Metrix consortium has been taking forward risk
reduction work to secure planning consent and develop an affordable training solution.
We aim to begin construction at St Athan in 2010, with training beginning in 2014. After
reviewing further options for Package 2 it became apparent that the Metrix consortium
was not able to offer an affordable and acceptable solution and the competition
was therefore ended in January 2008. We are now considering a range of options
to rationalise the estate in an affordable way while maintaining our supervisory
care commitments. We also announced in January 2008 that we plan to relocate the
Defence College of Logistics and Personnel Administration and the Director Royal
Logistics Corps from Deepcut in Surrey and consolidate elements of logistics training at
Worthy Down in Wiltshire and Southwick Park in Hampshire. This will enable the eventual
disposal of the Deepcut site;

get planning permission and highway improvements for redevelopment of RAF St Athan

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=MOD+DTR+audit+commission&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK|countryGB

From: Cotton, Peter (DEIN)
Sent: 22 September 2006 15:00
To: Alan.Davies@capita.co.uk
Cc: Perren, Jeff (DE & T)
Subject: FW: ST Athan Highway Works - Invitation to Tender

Attachments: Contact Data - St Athan Highways.doc

You are invited to tender an offer for a commission by WAG to undertake the services described below. The commission is the development of an existing commission which has progressed to the financial limits of its current contractual arrangements (£50k) so a tender is being sought from consultants contracted by the framework agreement inherited from the former WDA. You are not obliged to tender and a decision by you not to do so will certainly not prejudice your position for further WAG commissions. Please note that if you do decide to tender it must be delivered to the address described below in the envelopes described below before noon on 11th October 2006 . I shall be unavailable for assistance before that date, so the envelopes will be provided by Mr Jeff Perren, tel 01443 845800, email jeff.perren@wales.gsi.gov.uk. Please contact him to inform him of the address to which you require the envelopes to be sent. and to make any other enquiries you may have about the details of the commission.

The conditions of contract for the commission will be as described in the core clauses and the clauses of Options A, X2, X9, X11.1, Y(UK)1 and Y(UK)2 of the second edition, June 1998, of ‘The Professional Services Contract’ published for the Institution of Civil Engineers.

BACKGROUND

The Assembly owns most of the several hundred acres of the former RAF St Athan Airfield, which remains operationally active. The present occupancy of the Assembly's site by the Ministry of Defence (primarily the RAF and DARA [Defence Aviation Repair Agency]) is progressively reducing , but a few other occupancies are continuing. The Army is the most significant neighbouring occupier of the remainder of the former airfield.

Redevelopment of much of the Assembly's site is the basis of a bid by a consortium, Metrix, for two very substantial contracts that are scheduled to be awarded by the MoD for very extensive and comprehensive training of military personnel. The award of the MoD's contracts form a key stage in the MoD's revue of the UK's defence related training (DTR).

The Assembly intends to develop the remainder of the airfield as an Aerospace Park i.e. a business park for aviation-related employment.

To-date, regular and frequent meetings have been held with the local highway and planning authorities representatives and an assessment of anticipated traffic movements has informed a development brief for the proposals which has been adopted by the local planning authority. The development brief shows that the prime access to the DRY development and /or the Aerospace Park will be achieved by the construction of a road linking the site to the eastern-end of the Llantwit Major Bypass, north of Boverton, but also linking to Cowbridge Road north of St Athan. The latter link is necessary to replace a highway-link/bus route which currently passes through the north of the airfield. Further off-site highway-improvements are required to mitigate the effects of the development, viz. the improvement of highway geometry of the B4265 at the St Athan war-memorial and at Gileston Old Mill, approximately 1 km east of St Athan, plus capacity improvements at the A4226 Waycock Cross Roundabout. An environmental assessment of the preferred route of the prime access was undertaken by White Young Green, together with the relevant environmental surveys required to prepare an Environmental Station which gives due consideration to the sensitive issues along the route. The EA continues to be refined as the design of the route is also being refined, in particular at its eastern extremity where options continue to be assessed. A full topographical aerial-survey was completed and a ground model developed, enabling the highway alignment to be accurately designed. A preliminary ground investigation was also carried out along the preferred route, enabling the engineering properties of the ground to be determined.

The design development of the route has included discussions with many interested parties to address their concerns with appropriate consideration of the scheme’s objectives:

The current approved design drawings, calculations and other relevant criteria are available electronically from Alan Davies of Capita [email Alan.Davies@capita.co.uk]. All tenderers must make themselves familiar with the these documents and, if awarded the commission, must accept them as the basis of their further refinement and development of the proposals.

The development brief is available on the local planning authority's website http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/Our%20Environment/Planning/Policy/Development_Briefs.aspx

SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT FOR THE COMMISSION

AIMS OF THE COMMISSION

To provide sufficient information to achieve planning permission and contractual contracts for the construction and adoption of the prime access and related highway improvements for the redevelopment of RAF St Athan in accord with the development brief adopted by the local planning authority.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMISSION

(i) WAG wishes to complete an integrated team to develop and finalise the design of the scheme’s components in sufficient detail to draft the necessary compulsory-purchase order(s) and achieve a planning application by early January 2007.

(ii) The granting of a suitable and acceptable planning permission for the northern access road to/from the Llantwit Major ByPass from/to Cowbridge Road north of St Athan.

(iii) The granting of a suitable and acceptable planning permission for improvements to the B4265 at the St Athan war-memorial and at Gileston Old Mill plus the A4266 Waycock Cross Roundabout.

(iv) The creation of tender documents, including a sufficiently detailed design, for a design & build contract to provide the works to a standard that is acceptable and adoptable by the local highway authority. Details of the model form of the required terms & conditions of the design & build contract are available from Mr Jeff Perren, whose contact details are described above.

TASKS

Clearly the tasks that are necessary to achieve such broad objectives are many and varied. Each tenderer is required to provide and price his Activity Schedule and included it in Envelope B. The Activity Schedule must include the following subjects, subdivided & priced as the tenderer deems appropriate.

Perform a Stage 1 Safety audit of the designs produced to-date by Capita. Copies of the designs (including traffic & drainage capacities calculations) are attached.

Complete the designs in sufficient detail and/to produce a planning submission acceptable to the local highway authority, local planning authority and all other relevant authorities, including the Environment Agency.

Any land required is likely to be acquired through a Compulsory Purchase Order. The statutory procedures to be followed shall be concurrent, in which case the Side Roads Orders and Compulsory Purchase Orders shall be prepared as nearly concurrently as possible. The Orders shall be published in draft and subsequently processed simultaneously. The Consultant may be requested to assist the Employer with this work.

Complete the designs in sufficient detail for the letting of a competition, by lump-sum tender, for the detailed design & construction of the highway works, including necessary ancillary works (e.g. drainage), of the prime access, described above, and the further off-site highway-improvements that are required to mitigate the effects of the development , viz. the improvement of highway geometry of the B4265 at the St Athan war-memorial and at Gileston Old Mill, plus capacity improvements at the A4226 Waycock Cross Roundabout.

Following the acceptance of the commission the Consultant shall be required to attend weekly progress meetings with the client, WAG at Cardiff, Treforest or St Athan. The minimum attendance at these meetings shall be key staff appropriate to the stage of the design. The first meeting shall be held within five working days following WAG's issue of the award of the commission. There will be a standard agenda for the meetings prepared by the Employer. The Consultant shall also be required to attend additional meetings as required by/with WAG to discuss any matter relating to the project. The Consultant shall take the minutes of these meetings and distribute them promptly after the meeting.

The Consultant shall assist the Employer with various Public Relations initiatives.

Unless agreed otherwise all contact with the media will be via the Employer.

INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE PROVIDED IN THE TENDER

i) Your tender must describe your understanding of the commission and your abilities, with recent relevant experience in the production of such works as described in the brief below. Ideally you will be able to provide the locations in the UK of constructed examples of similar works that you have designed.

ii) You must identify the resources and skills you would make available to perform the commission, with a breakdown of the time allocated for tasks and who would be involved. The breakdown must include your estimate of your staff’s attendance at a reasonable number of meetings with the Agency, the local authority and other relevant bodies. You must identify and provide CVs for each of the persons who would be involved. You must describe their professional experience and location(s) from where their services would be provided.

iii) You must provide a list of relevant, recently completed contracts.

iv) You must supply confirmation that you hold appropriate indemnity cover and public liability cover, both of at least as defined in the attached ‘Contract Data’.

v) You must confirm your quality procedures, health & safety and environmental policies.

vi) You must provide an activity schedule and programme of those activities, dividing the commission into stages including, as separate stages, all of the tasks described above.

vii) You must confirm that all necessary services to achieve the aims & objectives of the commission, as described above, are included in your activity schedule. Clarify what additional services, if any, you expect others, outside the commission, to provide to achieve all authorisations and permissions for the construction and adoption of the works.

viii) You must provide lump sum prices for each of the activities. The lump sums must be inclusive of all expenses & disbursements and be valid for the next six months plus the programmed period of the commission.

ix) You must provide the calculation of the total of the lump sum prices.

x) You must provide staff rates you would charge for changes to the Scope of the contract, to assist in the calculation of the value of compensation events. The rates must be valid for the next six months plus the programmed period of the commission.

TENDER PROCEDURE

Place the total of your lump sum prices into ‘Envelope A’ and the remaining information, containing no more than ten pages of text, into ‘Envelope B’. Seal both envelopes and place them into ‘Envelope C’. Seal ‘Envelope C’ and return it to the Agency’s Secretary, at the Welsh Development Agency address on it, by 12 noon on Wednesday, 18^th December 2002.

N.B. No marks, including mail franking or other delivery system marks, which could identify the sender must be visible on that envelope (C) or anything that contains it.

TENDER ASSESSMENT

1. Tenders will be assessed on the basis of both quality and price. The contract will be awarded to the tenderer submitting the most economically advantageous offer assessed on the basis of quality, and price proposals for the entire scheme. The first assessment will be for quality.

2. All tenders that comply with the quality requirements will be financially assessed. An appraisal of the rates and percentages submitted will be undertaken. Any anomalies in the submitted rates or percentages will be drawn to the attention of the financial panel, which may ask the tenderers to explain any such anomalies.

3. The final assessment of the tenders will be based on an aggregated score for quality and price requirements as detailed below. The ratio of quality to price will be 80:20.

4. WAG reserves the right not to award the contract to the tenderer with the highest score if the panel concludes this will put the WAG at undue financial, operational or legal risk.

Table 1 Tender Score Criteria

Criteria		Marks
A	Very high standard with detailed understanding of the project aims and no reservations about acceptability	10
B	High standard but falls just short of A	9-8
C	Good standard and requirements met, but with some reservations	7-5
D	Acceptable with significant reservations but not sufficient to warrant rejection	4-1
E	Fails to meet requirements	0

Peter Cotton

Senior Engineering Manager

Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks/Yr Adran Menter, Arloesi a Rhwydweithiau

Welsh Assembly Goverment/Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru

QED Centre/Canolfan QED Treforest Industrial Estate/Ystad Ddiwydiannol Trefforest Pontypridd CF37 5YR 01443 845863 mob 07799 862542 fax 01443 845565 email peter.cotton@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Welsh Assembly Government | Disclosure log 1678

Q: How much WAG/DEIN staff time and at what cost has been dedicated to promoting the development of the St Athan site as a major centre of excellence in the ...