BBC Article Claims St Athan Favourite for New Training Centre
It may be that the winning consortium do a fine job, but I find the involvement of QinetiQ, and the preferential treatment they so obviously receive from MoD, disturbing. I know industry “competitors” have been voicing this concern for some time – in fact predicted it from the day one – and even MPs are voicing disquiet now.
The simple fact is that, through many years of being automatically tasked (not contracted after a competition) to carry out work while part of MoD, QQ has inherited a vast array of Government funded knowledge. While MoD denies it, this clearly places them in an advantageous position when responding to invitations to tender. More so if MoD deny other bidders a level playing field by refusing to release this information during the tender process.
Some of this knowledge is obviously in the form of MoD decisions or direction as to what the solution to a given requirement should be. For example; companies may be invited to conduct research with a view to narrowing down a technical solution. Ordinary bidders may have to spread their effort over a wide range of solutions, whereas QQ may be privy to an MoD decision which has already rejected most candidate technologies – so their bid appears more focussed.
Those familiar with MoD research establishments will know that QQ and Dstl staff are often physically co-located. It is common for them to be ex-colleagues; when DERA was split one happens to have moved to QQ, the other to Dstl. Dstl often act as MoD bid assessors. Taking the above research example, it is entirely possible that the bid assessor has, in the past, actually made the decision on the solution which QQ are proposing. Is that fair to other bidders who have spent a lot of money formulating their bid?
It follows that, if a company wants to mount a serious bid, their chances of success increase if they partner with QQ. Put another way, the company who QQ choose to partner with has a better chance of winning. The logical conclusion is that MoD is abrogating its responsibilities and, in effect, QQ are on occasion selecting the winning contractors.
The simple fact is that, through many years of being automatically tasked (not contracted after a competition) to carry out work while part of MoD, QQ has inherited a vast array of Government funded knowledge. While MoD denies it, this clearly places them in an advantageous position when responding to invitations to tender. More so if MoD deny other bidders a level playing field by refusing to release this information during the tender process.
Some of this knowledge is obviously in the form of MoD decisions or direction as to what the solution to a given requirement should be. For example; companies may be invited to conduct research with a view to narrowing down a technical solution. Ordinary bidders may have to spread their effort over a wide range of solutions, whereas QQ may be privy to an MoD decision which has already rejected most candidate technologies – so their bid appears more focussed.
Those familiar with MoD research establishments will know that QQ and Dstl staff are often physically co-located. It is common for them to be ex-colleagues; when DERA was split one happens to have moved to QQ, the other to Dstl. Dstl often act as MoD bid assessors. Taking the above research example, it is entirely possible that the bid assessor has, in the past, actually made the decision on the solution which QQ are proposing. Is that fair to other bidders who have spent a lot of money formulating their bid?
It follows that, if a company wants to mount a serious bid, their chances of success increase if they partner with QQ. Put another way, the company who QQ choose to partner with has a better chance of winning. The logical conclusion is that MoD is abrogating its responsibilities and, in effect, QQ are on occasion selecting the winning contractors.
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"It may be that the winning consortium do a fine job, but I find the involvement of QinetiQ, and the preferential treatment they so obviously receive from MoD, disturbing. I know industry “competitors” have been voicing this concern for some time – in fact predicted it from the day one – and even MPs are voicing disquiet now."
As I posted earlier in the thread:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showpos...9&postcount=44
As I posted earlier in the thread:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showpos...9&postcount=44
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Will it cost as much to demolish Cosford as they have spent on it over the last 10 years or so?
..... but you'd better ask the bunch of pongoes with tape measures who've been lurking in the layby just off Junction 3 of the M54 ......
.... the ones with signs saying "Stafford/Donington/Cosford SuperGarrison" on their cars.......
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Can I please attempt to defend QinetiQ a little. Leaving aside any possible Carlyle controversy etc, QinetiQ is about people, and the people who work within the organisation are some of the finest technical people in the country.
Also, QQ own/operate one of the finest military training establishments in the world, namely the Empire Test Pilots' School.
Also, QQ own/operate one of the finest military training establishments in the world, namely the Empire Test Pilots' School.
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For those with access; http://defenceintranet.diiweb.r.mil....vesForward.htm
For those without;
If anyone can explain what a "Lyons Requirement" is, I would be grateful.
For those without;
17/01/2007The Metrix consortium has been awarded Preferred Bidder status for package 1 and Provisional Preferred Bidder status for package 2 of the Defence Training Review programme, Defence Secretary Des Browne announced today, Wednesday 17 January 2007.
An artist's impression of the new tri-service Defence Training campus at St. Athan [Picture: MOD]The DTR Programme will provide training that better meets the requirements of the front line by creating national centres of excellence for specialist training, through a programme of investment, rationalisation and modernisation.
St Athan, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, will be home to a new tri-service Defence Training campus.
Bidders were asked to select the sites that would best meet the Services' training requirements. We expect the anticipated solutions to eventually reduce the current defence training estate from about 30 current sites to about ten in the future, with a main campus to be located at St Athan.
Defence Secretary Des Browne said:
The DTR Programme will potentially affect some 3,400 military and 3,000 civilian instructors and support personnel and a standing population of some 11,000 Defence trainees.
The MOD Estate is under continuous review to ensure that it is the right size and quality to support the delivery of Defence capability. It is anticipated that there will continue to be a Defence use of both the Blandford and Cosford sites which will also continue to provide employment and income generation opportunities for the local regions of North Dorset and the West Midlands.
For Package One the proposal plans to rationalise the nine sites, on which this training is currently delivered, over a five year transition period starting from late 2008, to initially two major sites, St Athan and HMS Sultan, before further consolidating on a single main campus at St Athan. A small enclave will be retained at Bordon for REME vehicle recovery training and some communications training will continue to be delivered alongside Naval warfare training, itself outside the scope of this project, at HMS Collingwood.
Overall this will have a varying impact across nine sites: Arborfield, Bordon, Blandford, HMS Collingwood, Cosford, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, HMS Sultan and St Athan. The St Athan site will be largely a new build facility, which meets both sustainability and Lyons requirements. Marine Engineering training, currently delivered at HMS Sultan, Gosport, is anticipated to remain there until 2017 when it is planned to relocate to St Athan.
The scale of complexity related to Package Two is greater, and whilst the evaluation process identified Metrix as a clear winner we have significantly more work to do to resolve the outstanding issues and explore possible synergies which should deliver improved value for money. Until we have resolved these issues with the Bidder there is no certainty on the final approach that the MoD will take, including whether or not all or part of Package Two goes forward.
Package Two is expected to reduce the current number of training sites significantly, and these sites will be invested in, giving the best living and learning environment that we can provide for our service men and women. New technology and methods of teaching will be used to enable students to learn at their own pace; this will allow our most able soldiers, sailors and airmen to be trained and pass to the frontline commands more quickly, whilst others can be afforded the support to learn at a pace which suits them best.
At a Programme level there will be a reduction of military instructors posts and the majority of the MOD civilian staff will transfer to the Partner under TUPE regulations which fully protect existing terms and conditions.
More efficient use of our reduced training estate will enable us to make better use of existing funding. The capital investment available from a Partnering solution, will allow us to give our servicemen and women the best living and learning environment possible at all the major sites, including the large new build facility at St Athan.
Phase Two and Phase Three military specialist training will be delivered on a Defence rather than single-service basis to better meet joint operational requirements. Enhanced training will be achieved through new methods of teaching, the use of the latest technology, for example simulators, and flexible training techniques.
The MOD, via Senior Military Officers, will command and retain overall responsibility for the effectiveness of the training. Central to the Programme is the protection of our capability to retain the military ethos and culture of each of the Services in their people. This will be maintained by organising trainees in single Service (or cap badge) Houses. However, there is still the need to prepare all service personnel to train and work together and collocating training will expose our people to a joint environment at an early stage.
The greater flexibility of this new learning environment will enable Defence trainees to learn at a pace that suits their own ability; this will allow our most able soldiers, sailors and airmen to be trained and passed to Front Line Commands more quickly, whilst others can learn at a pace which best suits them.
As part of their training solutions, Bidders were asked to select the sites that would best meet MoD's training requirements. Locations were not prescribed by the Department. A fully comprehensive evaluation programme was undertaken from October 2005 to June 2006.
The winning bidder, the Metrix consortium, consists of Land Securities Trillium, QinetiQ, Raytheon/Nord Anglia, and EDS. Metrix won each package independently and separately. The evaluation of Bidders proposals, involving over 200 Subject Matter Experts, was overseen and audited by an independent assessor to give certainty of fair play. The Programme has also been scrutinised by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) under their 'Gateway Review' process.
Staff at Defence Colleges have been briefed by their Commandants and further presentations or roadshows will be available. Staff will be able to meet the Preferred Bidder, find out more about the solution, how the process will move forward and how they may be affected. The Programme is supported by the Service Chiefs and the Single Services are being briefed on the Programme through their respective chains of command.
Following this announcement we now enter the negotiation phase which seeks to resolve a number of outstanding issues. These must be addressed before a contract can be signed, which is not expected before Autumn 2008.
The full text of Defence Secretary Des Browne's House of Commons announcement follows (checked against delivery):
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. Before I do so, I am sure that the whole House will join me in extending their condolences to the friends and family of Marine Thomas Curry, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford and Kingsman Alexander Green who were killed in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the weekend and earlier this week.
Mr Speaker, in November 2004 the MOD issued Invitations to Negotiate for two contractual packages under the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. The programme is a large and complex Public Private Partnership project seeking to transform the way we deliver six types of specialist training on a Defence wide basis to support better the future needs of the Armed Forces.
All bidders have put in strong bids. I am grateful to honourable members on all sides of the House, who have expressed such strong support for relevant bids. I can now report that, following a detailed evaluation process, the bids from the Metrix Consortium have been judged to offer the best technical and prospective value for money solutions to the DTR requirement for both Packages 1 and 2. As a result we are appointing Metrix as Preferred Bidder for Package 1 and Provisional Preferred Bidder for Package 2. Metrix have won each package independently and separately and we now plan to take forward negotiations with the consortium.
On 18 December, the MC3 consortium submitted an unsolicited last minute alternative proposal for Package 1. This proposal was considered, but was quickly discounted as failing to meet the requirements of the Invitation to Negotiate. As an unsolicited proposal it was also outside the rules of the competition.
I must emphasise that identifying the best training solution for Defence has been the primary consideration. The evaluation has involved some 200 subject matter experts. The training element was overseen by Professor Molyneux, an independent expert in modern training technology and e-learning.
For Package 1 we are confident that we have a broadly affordable solution that will deliver a modern and efficient Aeronautical Engineering, Electro-mechanical Engineering and Communications and Information Systems training. Currently, this is delivered at 9 locations involving some 3,500 military and civilian staff providing instruction to 6,500 Defence trainees at any one time. Over a 5 year transition period starting in late 2008, Metrix propose to rationalise the estate, initially onto two major sites, St Athan and HMS Sultan. Marine Engineering training will remain at HMS Sultan until 2017 when that also will relocate to St Athan. The St Athan site will be largely a new build facility.
A small enclave will, however, be retained at Bordon for vehicle recovery training and some communications training will continue to be delivered at HMS Collingwood. Overall this will have a varying impact across 9 sites: Arborfield, Bordon, Blandford, HMS Collingwood, Cosford, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, HMS Sultan and St Athan.
Package 2 is more complex. It aims to provide training for Logistics and Personnel Administration, Police and Guarding, Security, Languages Intelligence and Photography. Currently, this is delivered at 18 locations across the United Kingdom, involving some 2,900 military and civilian staff, and 4,500 trainees.
While the evaluation process identified Metrix as a clear winner for Package 2, we have more work to do to resolve the outstanding issues to address a significant affordability gap and to explore possible synergies with Package 1 which should deliver improved value for money across the Programme as a whole. Until we have resolved these issues with the Bidder we cannot confirm the final approach that the MoD will take, including whether all, or part of, Package 2 goes forward. However, it is only right that we inform the losing bidder that they have been unsuccessful.
Starting in late 2008, the current METRIX proposals would again see rationalisation onto St Athan over a 5 year period. However, all training currently undertaken at Leconfield, Wethersfield and a number of smaller federated units would remain at these sites. As would the majority of training currently delivered at Chicksands.
Together these proposals will embrace the very best training methods available today, in an environment designed for military learning. Full advantage will be taken of the latest technology for simulators and distributed learning solutions. The proposals will deliver top grade single living accommodation for all ranks, with single en-suite rooms for many. New recreational and sports facilities will enhance the quality of life for our trainees, staff and their families.
Mr Speaker, I take very seriously the implications of this change programme for our people. The impact is likely to be significant for those civilian staff required to transfer to the new Partner. They will, of course, be protected in full accordance with the TUPE regulations. However, some redundancies following transfer cannot, be ruled out. Should this be the case, this will be taken forward sensitively and in full consultation with Trades Unions and staff.
I do not underestimate how disappointed some members and their constituents will be where we are seeking to withdraw training establishments. This will be most keenly felt in the West Midlands at Cosford and in North Dorset at Blandford. Whilst not wishing to pre-empt any specific decisions, I am pleased to say that there are no plans to close either site. The current training at each would continue until 2011 and the Department is exploring a number of proposals for the potential future Defence use of both Cosford and Blandford. These will be announced subject to the normal review and approvals processes. In each case a military presence is expected to remain at these sites in the future. In this case Metrix propose building at Cosford a Learning Resource Centre, developing a National Training Research and Development Support Centre and with the Department examine how the Programme might support the establishment of the National Manufacturing Skills Academy.
Mr Speaker, it has been suggested that MOD has a conflict of interest by virtue of its minority shareholding in QinetiQ. This was recognised at the outset. It is not unusual for QinetiQ to be a member of a consortium bidding for MOD work, or a potential beneficiary as a subcontractor. We have therefore put in place stringent steps to separate the roles of customer and owner in relation to QinetiQ. These were made plain in the prospectus to investors when QinetiQ was floated on the stock market last year and a copy was placed at the time in the House Library. I am content that that the DTR evaluation process did not take improper account of the Qinetiq shareholding.
Mr Speaker, the Under Secretary of State and I have also written today to all Right Honourable and Honourable Members whose constituencies are affected by this announcement, with details of the changes as set out in the winning Bidders’ current proposals. As the way forward becomes clearer I will update the House. I have also made available a number of key documents, including the Invitations to Negotiate and Professor Molyneux’ letter validating the evaluation process, in the Library of the House.
Mr Speaker, I conclude by emphasising again that the bids from Metrix Consortium offered the best technical and value for money solutions to meet the future needs of Defence specialist training. As I stated earlier, we now plan to take forward negotiations over the coming months with the Metrix Consortium. This remains an extremely complex PPP programme and a number of significant issues remain to be resolved, particularly over the proposals for Package 2. I do not plan to make any further announcements until this work has been completed.
An artist's impression of the new tri-service Defence Training campus at St. Athan [Picture: MOD]The DTR Programme will provide training that better meets the requirements of the front line by creating national centres of excellence for specialist training, through a programme of investment, rationalisation and modernisation. St Athan, in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, will be home to a new tri-service Defence Training campus.
Bidders were asked to select the sites that would best meet the Services' training requirements. We expect the anticipated solutions to eventually reduce the current defence training estate from about 30 current sites to about ten in the future, with a main campus to be located at St Athan.
Defence Secretary Des Browne said:
"Our Service men and women deserve the best training we can offer them. The Defence Training Review is all about making the investment needed to modernise the way we train our people. It is about providing a more flexible, responsive and effective training system, and at the same time improve living and training accommodation for our people.
"This programme of investment, rationalisation and modernisation will draw together many small training units to create national centres of excellence for specialist trade training. Identifying the best outcome for the future of Defence training has been the driving factor behind the Defence Training Review."
The DTR programme comprises six specialist training streams, which have been separated into two contractual packages. Package One involves provision of training for engineering and communications. Package Two will provide training for logistics, security, policing and administration.The DTR Programme will potentially affect some 3,400 military and 3,000 civilian instructors and support personnel and a standing population of some 11,000 Defence trainees.
The MOD Estate is under continuous review to ensure that it is the right size and quality to support the delivery of Defence capability. It is anticipated that there will continue to be a Defence use of both the Blandford and Cosford sites which will also continue to provide employment and income generation opportunities for the local regions of North Dorset and the West Midlands.
For Package One the proposal plans to rationalise the nine sites, on which this training is currently delivered, over a five year transition period starting from late 2008, to initially two major sites, St Athan and HMS Sultan, before further consolidating on a single main campus at St Athan. A small enclave will be retained at Bordon for REME vehicle recovery training and some communications training will continue to be delivered alongside Naval warfare training, itself outside the scope of this project, at HMS Collingwood.
Overall this will have a varying impact across nine sites: Arborfield, Bordon, Blandford, HMS Collingwood, Cosford, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, HMS Sultan and St Athan. The St Athan site will be largely a new build facility, which meets both sustainability and Lyons requirements. Marine Engineering training, currently delivered at HMS Sultan, Gosport, is anticipated to remain there until 2017 when it is planned to relocate to St Athan.
The scale of complexity related to Package Two is greater, and whilst the evaluation process identified Metrix as a clear winner we have significantly more work to do to resolve the outstanding issues and explore possible synergies which should deliver improved value for money. Until we have resolved these issues with the Bidder there is no certainty on the final approach that the MoD will take, including whether or not all or part of Package Two goes forward.
Package Two is expected to reduce the current number of training sites significantly, and these sites will be invested in, giving the best living and learning environment that we can provide for our service men and women. New technology and methods of teaching will be used to enable students to learn at their own pace; this will allow our most able soldiers, sailors and airmen to be trained and pass to the frontline commands more quickly, whilst others can be afforded the support to learn at a pace which suits them best.
At a Programme level there will be a reduction of military instructors posts and the majority of the MOD civilian staff will transfer to the Partner under TUPE regulations which fully protect existing terms and conditions.
More efficient use of our reduced training estate will enable us to make better use of existing funding. The capital investment available from a Partnering solution, will allow us to give our servicemen and women the best living and learning environment possible at all the major sites, including the large new build facility at St Athan.
Phase Two and Phase Three military specialist training will be delivered on a Defence rather than single-service basis to better meet joint operational requirements. Enhanced training will be achieved through new methods of teaching, the use of the latest technology, for example simulators, and flexible training techniques.
The MOD, via Senior Military Officers, will command and retain overall responsibility for the effectiveness of the training. Central to the Programme is the protection of our capability to retain the military ethos and culture of each of the Services in their people. This will be maintained by organising trainees in single Service (or cap badge) Houses. However, there is still the need to prepare all service personnel to train and work together and collocating training will expose our people to a joint environment at an early stage.
The greater flexibility of this new learning environment will enable Defence trainees to learn at a pace that suits their own ability; this will allow our most able soldiers, sailors and airmen to be trained and passed to Front Line Commands more quickly, whilst others can learn at a pace which best suits them.
As part of their training solutions, Bidders were asked to select the sites that would best meet MoD's training requirements. Locations were not prescribed by the Department. A fully comprehensive evaluation programme was undertaken from October 2005 to June 2006.
The winning bidder, the Metrix consortium, consists of Land Securities Trillium, QinetiQ, Raytheon/Nord Anglia, and EDS. Metrix won each package independently and separately. The evaluation of Bidders proposals, involving over 200 Subject Matter Experts, was overseen and audited by an independent assessor to give certainty of fair play. The Programme has also been scrutinised by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) under their 'Gateway Review' process.
Staff at Defence Colleges have been briefed by their Commandants and further presentations or roadshows will be available. Staff will be able to meet the Preferred Bidder, find out more about the solution, how the process will move forward and how they may be affected. The Programme is supported by the Service Chiefs and the Single Services are being briefed on the Programme through their respective chains of command.
Following this announcement we now enter the negotiation phase which seeks to resolve a number of outstanding issues. These must be addressed before a contract can be signed, which is not expected before Autumn 2008.
The full text of Defence Secretary Des Browne's House of Commons announcement follows (checked against delivery):
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. Before I do so, I am sure that the whole House will join me in extending their condolences to the friends and family of Marine Thomas Curry, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford and Kingsman Alexander Green who were killed in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the weekend and earlier this week.
Mr Speaker, in November 2004 the MOD issued Invitations to Negotiate for two contractual packages under the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme. The programme is a large and complex Public Private Partnership project seeking to transform the way we deliver six types of specialist training on a Defence wide basis to support better the future needs of the Armed Forces.
All bidders have put in strong bids. I am grateful to honourable members on all sides of the House, who have expressed such strong support for relevant bids. I can now report that, following a detailed evaluation process, the bids from the Metrix Consortium have been judged to offer the best technical and prospective value for money solutions to the DTR requirement for both Packages 1 and 2. As a result we are appointing Metrix as Preferred Bidder for Package 1 and Provisional Preferred Bidder for Package 2. Metrix have won each package independently and separately and we now plan to take forward negotiations with the consortium.
On 18 December, the MC3 consortium submitted an unsolicited last minute alternative proposal for Package 1. This proposal was considered, but was quickly discounted as failing to meet the requirements of the Invitation to Negotiate. As an unsolicited proposal it was also outside the rules of the competition.
I must emphasise that identifying the best training solution for Defence has been the primary consideration. The evaluation has involved some 200 subject matter experts. The training element was overseen by Professor Molyneux, an independent expert in modern training technology and e-learning.
For Package 1 we are confident that we have a broadly affordable solution that will deliver a modern and efficient Aeronautical Engineering, Electro-mechanical Engineering and Communications and Information Systems training. Currently, this is delivered at 9 locations involving some 3,500 military and civilian staff providing instruction to 6,500 Defence trainees at any one time. Over a 5 year transition period starting in late 2008, Metrix propose to rationalise the estate, initially onto two major sites, St Athan and HMS Sultan. Marine Engineering training will remain at HMS Sultan until 2017 when that also will relocate to St Athan. The St Athan site will be largely a new build facility.
A small enclave will, however, be retained at Bordon for vehicle recovery training and some communications training will continue to be delivered at HMS Collingwood. Overall this will have a varying impact across 9 sites: Arborfield, Bordon, Blandford, HMS Collingwood, Cosford, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, HMS Sultan and St Athan.
Package 2 is more complex. It aims to provide training for Logistics and Personnel Administration, Police and Guarding, Security, Languages Intelligence and Photography. Currently, this is delivered at 18 locations across the United Kingdom, involving some 2,900 military and civilian staff, and 4,500 trainees.
While the evaluation process identified Metrix as a clear winner for Package 2, we have more work to do to resolve the outstanding issues to address a significant affordability gap and to explore possible synergies with Package 1 which should deliver improved value for money across the Programme as a whole. Until we have resolved these issues with the Bidder we cannot confirm the final approach that the MoD will take, including whether all, or part of, Package 2 goes forward. However, it is only right that we inform the losing bidder that they have been unsuccessful.
Starting in late 2008, the current METRIX proposals would again see rationalisation onto St Athan over a 5 year period. However, all training currently undertaken at Leconfield, Wethersfield and a number of smaller federated units would remain at these sites. As would the majority of training currently delivered at Chicksands.
Together these proposals will embrace the very best training methods available today, in an environment designed for military learning. Full advantage will be taken of the latest technology for simulators and distributed learning solutions. The proposals will deliver top grade single living accommodation for all ranks, with single en-suite rooms for many. New recreational and sports facilities will enhance the quality of life for our trainees, staff and their families.
Mr Speaker, I take very seriously the implications of this change programme for our people. The impact is likely to be significant for those civilian staff required to transfer to the new Partner. They will, of course, be protected in full accordance with the TUPE regulations. However, some redundancies following transfer cannot, be ruled out. Should this be the case, this will be taken forward sensitively and in full consultation with Trades Unions and staff.
I do not underestimate how disappointed some members and their constituents will be where we are seeking to withdraw training establishments. This will be most keenly felt in the West Midlands at Cosford and in North Dorset at Blandford. Whilst not wishing to pre-empt any specific decisions, I am pleased to say that there are no plans to close either site. The current training at each would continue until 2011 and the Department is exploring a number of proposals for the potential future Defence use of both Cosford and Blandford. These will be announced subject to the normal review and approvals processes. In each case a military presence is expected to remain at these sites in the future. In this case Metrix propose building at Cosford a Learning Resource Centre, developing a National Training Research and Development Support Centre and with the Department examine how the Programme might support the establishment of the National Manufacturing Skills Academy.
Mr Speaker, it has been suggested that MOD has a conflict of interest by virtue of its minority shareholding in QinetiQ. This was recognised at the outset. It is not unusual for QinetiQ to be a member of a consortium bidding for MOD work, or a potential beneficiary as a subcontractor. We have therefore put in place stringent steps to separate the roles of customer and owner in relation to QinetiQ. These were made plain in the prospectus to investors when QinetiQ was floated on the stock market last year and a copy was placed at the time in the House Library. I am content that that the DTR evaluation process did not take improper account of the Qinetiq shareholding.
Mr Speaker, the Under Secretary of State and I have also written today to all Right Honourable and Honourable Members whose constituencies are affected by this announcement, with details of the changes as set out in the winning Bidders’ current proposals. As the way forward becomes clearer I will update the House. I have also made available a number of key documents, including the Invitations to Negotiate and Professor Molyneux’ letter validating the evaluation process, in the Library of the House.
Mr Speaker, I conclude by emphasising again that the bids from Metrix Consortium offered the best technical and value for money solutions to meet the future needs of Defence specialist training. As I stated earlier, we now plan to take forward negotiations over the coming months with the Metrix Consortium. This remains an extremely complex PPP programme and a number of significant issues remain to be resolved, particularly over the proposals for Package 2. I do not plan to make any further announcements until this work has been completed.
Gentleman Aviator
I see that photog (now at Cosford) seems to be included in Package 2, but not PTIs (also at Cosford) .... do they count as Personal Admin (surely HR!) or what?
Would seem a shame to lose all the sports facilities at Cosford and get tanks parked on them.....
Would seem a shame to lose all the sports facilities at Cosford and get tanks parked on them.....
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Is DTR lean? If not when will saints be having it's first RIE?
Tetering
I have heard that cranwell is going to be the new home for the wannabe jumping beans. That will mean a whole new building for the tanning salon and lots of new mirrors.
Tetering
I have heard that cranwell is going to be the new home for the wannabe jumping beans. That will mean a whole new building for the tanning salon and lots of new mirrors.
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Basically it's all about moving government establishments away from London and the South East.
Too bad about Innsworth/High Wycombe then!
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Some may say that I am bias since I live here in S. Wales but the reaction from the Cosford bid is natural. It is no different than the reaction we had when the rug was pulled from under us with the Red Dragon hangar.
Putting it in it's simpliest way no wants to lose, (if lose is the word).The contract had to go to someone and there will always be those that will be effected by the 'wrong' decision.
I stand in this dirty great £108Mill hangar and look at 5 FJ aircraft. Who the hell made that decision? The same bunch that made this one only the head honcho is different.
I am still in employment here and will be for some time to come with the 10s but, (no matter what anyone says), no one here will gain from this. I would suggest that all those in the posts at Cosford update their CVs and look to the future because you are the ones that will benefit. Gen up on the TUPE rules because, sure as hell, after the Tornado/Harrier-balls up by MOD, you WILL be asked to move or lose your VER.
Monkeybumhead
St. Athan has been running with lean for quite a few years. VMF is not only looked upon as a Lean business but as a bench mark by industry on Lean. (That is not DARA Borg speak, it came from the aviation industry themselves).
I suppose that this can be looked upon as a Military aircrew thread. (You break 'em, we fix 'em).
Putting it in it's simpliest way no wants to lose, (if lose is the word).The contract had to go to someone and there will always be those that will be effected by the 'wrong' decision.
I stand in this dirty great £108Mill hangar and look at 5 FJ aircraft. Who the hell made that decision? The same bunch that made this one only the head honcho is different.
I am still in employment here and will be for some time to come with the 10s but, (no matter what anyone says), no one here will gain from this. I would suggest that all those in the posts at Cosford update their CVs and look to the future because you are the ones that will benefit. Gen up on the TUPE rules because, sure as hell, after the Tornado/Harrier-balls up by MOD, you WILL be asked to move or lose your VER.
Monkeybumhead
St. Athan has been running with lean for quite a few years. VMF is not only looked upon as a Lean business but as a bench mark by industry on Lean. (That is not DARA Borg speak, it came from the aviation industry themselves).
I suppose that this can be looked upon as a Military aircrew thread. (You break 'em, we fix 'em).
Join Date: May 2005
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I have noticed already that the campaign to keep certain elements at Blandford and thus keep it open has started. I assume a similar one has started/will start for Cosford and others.
I bet not one base will close.
I bet not one base will close.
Join Date: Feb 2003
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replacements will be selected as per the green / dark blue system. 
