Nope. Use the M50 in and the M4 out and don't pay at all. That'll scotch the Welsh nationalists a treat.

I believe the Midlands hasn't a monopoly on unemployment.
Incidentally The No. 4 School of Technical Training has been based at Saints for over 60 years.

Chivenor to Brawdy September 1974, and back again, August 1980.... North Devon was a liberal constituency that was never going to vote Labour, whilst Pembrokeshire had a Labour MP with a small majority.
At least it gave them the chance to replace the wartime accomodation at Heaven-in-Devon, and nowadays, I'm sure the Royal Marines appreciate it....
If PPrune was around at the time, what interesting reading it would have made!!!

In Private Eye # 1171 Dated 10th November
 

(Scan, cut and paste from page 29)
A consortium known as Metrix has emerged as favourite for at least one of the two defence training PFI contracts reckoned to be worth around£19bn. But who is behind the snappily-named outfit set to be handed access to much of Britain’s military technology and be relied upon to prepare the armed forces for operations for 15 years?
Providing the computer capability is – uh, oh! EDS, the company’s record of screwing up CSA, the Inland Revenue tax credits, and more recently the forces own personnel administration system seems to have recommended itself to MoD bosses
Other members include Qinetiq, 30% owned by US investment fund Carlyle, which acquired the shares some 5 years ago through the part privatisation of DERA; and Augusta Westlands, bought by Italian defence giant Finmeccanica a couple of years ago. Success for Metrix would represent an early success for Finmeccanica director Lord Bach, who as defence minister in the last parliament approved the Augusta acquisition.
And who could doubt the credentials of Raytheon? Among the blots are:
Conviction for illegally obtaining classified documents (1990)
Over charging on Government contracts (1994)
Compensation to a competitor for spying (1999)
$410m settlement with investors over false accounts (2004)
Private education company Nord Anglia secures a birth despite financial troubles and a questionable record of privatising schools in local authorities. In September last year it was forced to lay off 100 staff and flog its headquarters as it lost money on a chain of nurseries.
And no consortium would be complete without one of Britain’s finest outsourcers, in this case Serco – the firm that earlier this year admitted that its dismal performance on prisoner tagging only improved when it was threatened with swingeing penalties.
Metrix has the crucial cabinet-level of Welsh Secretary Peter Hain. The consortium will be based in the RAF’s St Athan site in Wales and use a £100m “super-hangar” that the MoD built just before the aircraft repairs it was designed for were moved out. Though extreamly unpopular with MoD staff, the move would therefore spare some blushes, even it means handing over training of the country’s armed forces to the most motley of crews

Could history repeat itself? What about the contractor that went to the job centre in Llantwit Major with the question to all plumbers and the like:- 'can you hold a spanner' whilst they were trawling for specialised airframe staff to satisfy their hard won contract.

Somewhile later an undisclosed number of Tonkas (18) had fasteners pulled out with claw hammers and drills "waggled" through holes that were meant to have 'shrunk fit' fasteners replaced in them! I think the MoD got about £5M for each of the kites that were affected and the specific company changed its name and is still in business today.

Heard a rumour today that new quarters are being built at the welsh site, and that it started 2 weeks ago. Could it be that someone has been given the nod by our most honest and trustworthy (mainly of celtic origin) government? Still I suppose the rest of us will find out on 27th Nov, unless they put it back again.

No it doesn't, but this proposal isn't about creating NEW jobs at all, it is a sickening and cynical horse trading in existing jobs at Cosford and of course the equivalent sites run by the other two services. It is about sacrificing employment and popularity in one region with the aim of making poliical gains in another. Where S Wales gains - if it does gain - someone else loses their livelihood.
But no matter as long as it ultimately keeps some unprincipled goon in Whitehall in theirs eh?
This was never even supposed to be a political decision, but give a politician a chance to score points and, to quote the hackneyed old saying, in the overall clamour to kick the alligators off ones ass we forget that the original aim was to drain the swamp.

It appears the decesion has been put back yet again. I was informed by someone it might be due to the fact someone asked a rather probing question. Something along the lines of the government awarding itself a contract. Could it be down to their stake in QuinetiQ or the fact the money the Welsh Development Agency were offering to plough into said progect actually comes from the tax payers pocket? If I am wrong then so be it as I'm sure there are members of this community that know a great deal more than myself on this matter.

Indeed it could! I believe that's how the Buccaneer came to disintegrate all over the place in the 80s.

Blackburn, to save dosh and, I believe, for the lack of suitably qualified machinists, decided to employ 'craftsmen' when they won the contract for the NA39 to make the aircraft. They needed highly skilled craftsmen, it was allegedly decided. And found them in the shape of carpenters from the furniture building trade.

These craftsmen didn't understand the need to make machined edges round and polished, to stop crack propagation through flexing. No understanding of 3xd before drilling holes near edges.

And no one worried about it until aircrew lost their lives. I wish I were kidding. Perhaps it's all a dream....

... quite likely. Particularly as the WDA ceased to exist on 1 Apr 06 and was absorbed into .........the Welsh Assembly Government!

Decision / announcement delayed
 

No surprises. The announcement has been delayed to 'next year'. Some say 'early in 2007', others don't.

The last I heard was that Jan 07 is when we will next hear something. Probably that the announcement will be put back till later in the year.

Well, after all the agonising, rumour and counter rumour the big day dawns tomorrow (17th Jan)
The Cmd at Cosford will brief personnel on the preferred bidder decision at 12 O'Clock, parliament will be told tomorrow as well.
The BBC Wales website which has been all but moving the aircraft from Cosford to St Athan over the past few months tells us that a number of Welsh MPs have been invited to Downing Street afterwards...for congratulatory champers and one supposes :*

What else would you expect from a government that is full of celtic loonies. Nought like jobs for the boy(o)s. I do hope some searching questions are asked about how the decision was reached. Could it have been something to do with jobs on boards or backhanders?

If anyone is unsure as to who makes up the metrix consortium then I suggest you take a look at the metrixuk website, or link via qinetiq's website, and draw up your own conclusions.

;)
What 'Blue Suiters' ?


'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'

There goes the neighbourhood then.

CG

I wouldn't hold your breath! Here's a very interesting news clip from today's Torygraph.

A consortium bidding for a huge contract to privatise all non-military training for the armed forces has tabled a last-minute revised offer to do the work for at least £1bn less.

I think there's a lot more water to pass under the bridge yet!! Remember, it's only a Preferred Bidder decision. As Mr Branson found out, Preferred Bidders don't always win!

Because we all know that BAe and Vosper Thornycroft are past-masters at delivering the goods on time, on spec and on budget for Auntie Betty. :ugh:
Nice to see that the golf club's staying.

Take a load of triservice trainee mechanics/fitters and place them in the same locale as Paras, Marines, and Rocks.

Mix with liberal quantities of beer and observe results.

Oh Dear!

Well thats it. Metrix has won the bid and the whole shooting match will transfer to St Athan commencing 2011. Civvey personel will transfer to the new partner during 2008 after which they can be made redundant.
Errr excuse me, redundencies? So just how many of these 5000 jobs are being created around St Athan then :confused: