Meeting with Dai Lloyd, Leanne Wood, PCS

Campaign to oppose a privatised military academy for St Athan -

On the second anniversary of the announcement there will be a meeting to discuss the £12 billion Academy - the Defence Training Review (DTR) that is on the verge of collapse due to a triple whammy of rising costs, time delays and national security concerns and don't forget our campaigning!

We had confirmation from Dai Lloyd’s office that this Friday’s meeting is at

Friday Jan 16th 12 midday in Conference Room 21, Ty Hywel. Senedd - Ty Hywell is simply the new name for the Welsh Assembly’s former home. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crickhowell_House

Leanne Wood is confirmed to chair it, Dai Lloyd and Bethan Jenkins are confirmed to attend, and Rhodri Glyn Thomas may be coming.

Robin Gwyndaf will be there and Paul Bemrose, full time officer PCS

Two years ago Westminster politicians, Ministry of Defence top brass and their cronies in big business were slapping each other on the back about a new military training academy in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan. In Wales first Minister Rhodri Morgan was celebrating with champagne on the Senedd steps and the Welsh media crowed about a £14 billion contract and around 5,000 + new ‘high-quality’ jobs.

The plan is now unravelling as it becomes clear it’ll be a complete failure.

Hope to see you there. This is your chance to ask questions.

Questions for AMs Jan 2009

1. Are you happy for this massive PFI to be imposed on Wales?

2. When is there going to be a debate in the Assembly about the St Athan project ?

3. Is the DTR on the brink of collapse?

4. What amount and from which sources is taxpayer’s money involved? How much of this is coming from Wales?

5. Are Members satisfied that if this project falls apart, the Assembly’s budget will not be adversely affected?

6. Have the Welsh Assembly Government been briefed on the latest funding situation since and the withdrawal of LST?

7. Will Metrix make up cash shortfall by training private armies, regardless of their human rights record, and is there anything to stop them doing that?

8. Why are present highly qualified training staff quitting?

9. Why has the St Athan consultation website not been updated and why is still no feed back from the consultations that have already taken place as long ago as July 2008.(http://www.st-athanconsultation.co.uk/)

10. Visitors to the DTA exhibition complained of a “lack of detailed information”. Have the issues raised there been addressed? Will the academy be an “isolated, gated village“? Would nearby towns see an increase in “squaddie rowdiness and drop outs from the academy”?

11. In related news ‘Wales on Line’ reports - £100m plus plan that is being considered, to build a new road to Cardiff International Airport: It has been suggested that the road would be to serve the St Athan training academy. Would it not be an outrage to spend such huge amounts of Welsh public money on feather-bedding the training academy project?

12. Why should Welsh taxpayers subsidise private organisations?