Tuesday 29 January 2008

Top Cat..David Davies reply to a letter on St Athan Military Academy

I wrote to David Davies re EDM 785 PRIVATE MILITARY & SECURITY and St Athan Military Academy and his reply....

Does your organisation receieve public money directly or indirectly by any chance?
Regards David TC DaviesDoes your organisation receieve public money directly or indirectly by any chance?
Regards David TC Davies

I replied......with one word ..............
Meoooow!!
Therefore, David Davies is referred to in the House of Commons in Westminster as David T.C. Davies. This has caused opposition MPs to refer to him in jest ...as Top Cat, a cartoon character who shares the same initials.

EDM 785 PRIVATE MILITARY & SECURITY

Early Day Motion PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES EDM 785

24.01.2008


Anderson, David

That this House is concerned by the exponential growth of private military and security companies (PMSCs) since the invasion of Iraq; is disturbed by the substantial rise of reported incidents of civilian killings and human rights abuses by PMSC guards in Iraq who remain unregulated and unaccountable; further notes that problems posed by proliferation of PMSCs were highlighted in a Green Paper in February 2002 that originated in a request from the Foreign Affairs Committee but that, six years later, there is still no United Kingdom legislation regulating PMSCs; believes that self-regulation by the industry is not appropriate in this instance; and urges the Government to bring forward legislative proposals for the control of the PMSC sector as an urgent priority.

Conservative Party Bottomley, Peter Open: 1 Closed: 0 Labour Party Anderson, David Caton, Martin Corbyn, Jeremy Cryer, Ann Drew, David Jones, Lynne Meale, Alan Open: 7 Closed: 0 Liberal Democrats Hancock, Mike

Regulate Mercenaries 24 Jan 2008
Dave Anderson MP has again urged controls on private military and security companies.
This time he has tabled a Commons motion expressing his concern at the unregulated activities of some of these companies in Iraq and calling for regulation.

Martin Canton Addresses: Constituency 26 Pontardulais Road, Gorseinon Swansea SA4 4FE

Alan Meale MP
Ann Cryer MP
rowenc@parliament.uk
Lynne Jones

Thursday 17 January 2008

No interferring John Smith in the St Athan planning application

By John Smith : 2 Commons debates
=================================

Oral Answers to Questions - Wales: Defence Training Programme (16 Jan 2008)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-01-16a.917.6&s=speaker%3A10550#g9
17.7
John Smith: What progress is being made on the Defence Training
Programme at RAF St. Athan; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Pritchard (Wrekin, The, Conservative) | Hansard source

Is the Minister aware that, according to a recent survey by the Public and Commercial Services union, 72 per cent. of the defence personnel who are expected to move to Wales from RAF Cosford in my constituency are either unwilling or unable to do so? Is it not about time we were given some transparency in the planning problems mentioned by the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan (John Smith)?

Oral Answers to Questions - Wales: Defence Training Programme (16 Jan  2008)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-01-16a.917.6&s=speaker%3A10550#g9
17.9
John Smith: I thank my hon. Friend for that reply and I thank him and the Secretary of State for their work in attracting this multi-billion
pound investment to Wales. If all of Wales is to benefit from it, we must get the
planning right. Will my hon. Friend agree to meet me to

discuss the local authority's planning strategy to ensure that it appreciates the
sheer scale and strategic importance of this...


Saturday 12 January 2008

The strange tale of the Wrekin MP Mark Pritchards appointment to the Welsh Affairs committee!








10 October 2007 : Parliamentary Question

Click here for more RAF St. Athan

Mark Pritchard questions the Secretary of State for Wales on progress on infrastructure projects in support of the Defence Training Review project at RAF St. Athan. full story


http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/welsh_affairs_committee.cfm

On Monday 17 December 2007 Mr Stephen Crabb MP was discharged from the Committee and was replaced by Mark Pritchard MP

Member Constituency Party Dr Hywel Francis MP (Chairman)AberavonLabour

David T.C. Davies MP Monmouth Conservative

The Grange 16 Maryport Street Usk Monmouthshire NP15 1AB or House of Commons London SW1A 0AA.

if you would like to meet him at one of his surgeries please ring his office on 01291 672817. These are held regularly in Usk, Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth.
If you need to reach me during the week, my office number in Westminster is 0207 2198360, and my fax number is 0207 2192806. I can also be reached by e-mail, at daviesd@parliament.uk
http://www.david-daviesmp.co.uk/contact.aspx

Nia Griffith MP Llanelli Labour
Mrs Siân James MP Swansea EastLabour Mr David Jones MP Clwyd West Conservative
Mr Martyn Jones MP Clwyd SouthLabour Rt Hon Alun Michael MP Cardiff South and Penarth Labour Co-op Albert Owen MP Ynys MonLabour Mark Pritchard MP The Wrekin Conservative Mr Hywel Williams MP Caernarfon Plaid Cymru Mark Williams MP Ceredigion Liberal Democrats

& Who is Mark Pritchard, MP??? Mark Pritchard is Conservative MP for The Wrekin (Shropshire). He is Secretary of the Conservative Defence Committee; and Secretary of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee. He is also a member of two Select Committees: Department of Work & Pensions; and Environmental Audit Select Committee.

Wednesday 9 January 2008

PCS expose blatent job number lies

PCS met with Jill Evans MEP...The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the blatant distortion being expressed by a number of Welsh MPs as to the number of new jobs being created in south Wales as part of this multi billion pounds private finance deal.
Activists explained that the thousands of new high skill jobs promised by Welsh MPs were a fallacy because existing civil servants were already employed in them. This means that only low paid and low skilled jobs would be on offer.

As part of the programme, some 1,100 civil servants have been identified as being likely to be transferred across to a private consortium called Metrix. Yet the Welsh Assembly had frequently gone on record as stating that somewhere in the region of 6,000 new jobs were being created.

http://www.pcs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=915899

Friday 4 January 2008

PCS on privatising defence training and METRIX

17 Jan 2007 Des Browne unveils new defence training academy in Wales The defence training review is all about making the investment needed to ... loss of specialist skills and knowledge," said Mark Serwotka of the PCS union. ...
www.politics.co.uk/news/foreign-policy/defence/defence/super-defence-academy-plans-unveiled-$463622.htm - 29k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

18th July 2006 MoD STAFF IN CANDLELIT VIGIL OVER PRIVATISATION File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich. * PCS has over 18000 members in the Ministry of Defence. Alex Flynn ...
www.politics.co.uk/.../364840/downloads/18th_july_2006_mod_staff_in_candlelit_vigil_over_privatisation.doc - [ More results from www.politics.co.uk ]

Thursday, 25 Oct 2007nomurderacademyatstathan: PCS WELCOME U TURN ON MOD Privatisation Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “Thanks to the well argued case put by ... ST ATHAN - The Defence Training Review Rationalization ...www.nomurderacademyatstathans.com/2007/11/pcs-welcome-u-turn-on-mod-privatisation.html - 129k - Cached -

Jan 18 2007
Celebration as Wales lands its biggest-ever defence contract - icWales Implementing the Defence Training Review Programme is going to involve numerous ... Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services ...

icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_method=full&objectid=18496158&siteid=50082-name_page.html - 50k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

St Athan Defence Training Academy and the Future of Wales File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
“The only winners in the privatisation of defence training,” says Mark. Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union,“are the ...
www.cynefinywerin.org.uk/fileserve.php?mediaid=149 -

Metrix: QinetiQ CUTS 400 UK Jobs so how many will they bring to ...

Is the tide turning on Defence Training Review ... Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "It is scandalous that a small number of senior managers and ...
metrixconsortium.blogspot.com/2007/11/qinetiq-rewards-mount-with-rise-in.html - 110k - Cached -

UK Political Blog Feeds

The union hailed the decision to keep one half of defence training in the ... The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich. ...
www.voidstar.com/ukpoliblog/index.php/fid/835 - 237k -

Ministry of Defence criticised over EDS contract - ZDNet UK Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "It is astounding that the MoD is ... bid on this contract and other contracts such as defence training. ...
news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39285436,00.htm - 67k -

Article The union hailed the decision to keep one half of defence training in the ... Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Thanks to the well ...
www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/0/BA36DD42ED4EFA5680257380004FF4F0?OpenDocument - 45k -[PDF]

Public Services NOT Private Profit The Case Against Privatisation File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
wholesale privatisation as a result of the Defence Training Review, a PPP contract ... campaign.” Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary ...
www.publicnotprivate.org.uk/booklet.pdf -

Luther ap Blissett: St Athan Company Slammed by Government Agency ... "The only winners in the privatisation of defence training," says Mark Serwotka, ... Cardiff Review: Alternative news, views, and reviews from the 'Diff ...
lutherapblissett.blogspot.com/2007/11/st-athan-consortium-slammed-opposition.html - 80k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

[PDF]

SUCCESS IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Defence Training Review.This is the largest PFI project any. government has ever undertaken ..... As part of our campaign General Secretary Mark Serwotka, ...
pcs.live.poptech.coop/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/470C643D-A9D9-43B9-B5E2-2AFE7184F616_CBApril07.pdf -

News Story Commenting Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary said: “Whilst we welcome the ... bids for Defence Training and the Defence Information Infrastructure.” ...
www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=303 - 12k - Cached -

Civil Service Network - Article Mark Serwotka described the privatisation deal as "obscene", adding: "It is ... Defence minister Baroness Taylor said the auditor’s report had recognised ...
www.civilservicenetwork.com/index.php?id=41&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=26279 - 21k - Cached -

How many jobs?

Chris Bryant (PPS (Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC (Leader of the House of Commons)), Leader of the House of Commons, Rhondda, Labour) | Hansard source 21 Nov 2007

One of the most significant developments in the next few years will be the St. Athan defence training academy, on which we hope that building will start in the next two years. We have already won the first package, so will the Minister do everything in his power to make sure that the Ministry of Defence understands the benefits of bringing the second package to Wales as well? That is supported by everyone on the Labour side of the House, but will he make sure it is supported by everyone on the other side as well?

Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Wales Office) | Hansard source 21 Nov 2007

My hon. Friend makes a very important point. The success of the academy depends very much on strong and coherent cross-party support and leadership. The massive investment in the new St. Athan defence training academy, worth billions of pounds, shows that the Government have given Wales a huge vote of confidence and is a sign of the country's bright economic future. Thousands of jobs will be created when construction of the academy is complete, and they will come on top of the 1,500 jobs created during the construction period. We must continue to show consensus and leadership at all levels on this matter.

Thursday 3 January 2008

Confused Adam Price AS/MP ???

























Get real Adam Price AS/MP Dwyrain Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen East and Dinefwr

Backs the privatised military academy but is not embracing 'militarism' ?
He opposes the Governments Privatisation Policy and this is the largest PFI/PPP ever?
Backs this academy idea on 'ECONOMICAL' factors?

Whoops!!! A bit 'economical' with the truth!




Wayne David MP Caerphilly








































This contract will be the largest PFI/PPP project ever undertaken by the Ministry of Defence and will be the largest partnering arrangement ever undertaken in the UK. A Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for DTR in simplistic terms means that the winning consortia will effectively own all of the real estate and services for training for the next 25 years. For this they will be paid an annual sum,and must, by law, make a profit for their shareholders. The contract is worth £19 billion

The governments record on such projects is poor - the audit commissions report on Qinetiq- the privatisation of the railways. This will be a disaster and already half the package has gone down the drain whuch Wayne David doesn't mention

PCS called on the MoD to see sense and halt the privatisation of the other half of defence training which includes technical and mechanical training. The union warned that pushing ahead with remaining half of defence training would represent poor value for money and lead to a loss of knowledge and experience as staff would refuse to relocate to the new training base in South Wales