Examination of Witnesses (Questions 20-26)
MR BRYAN
GODSELL, MS
CATHERINE SPEIGHT,
MR GAVIN
TOKER, MR
JIM COOPER
AND MS
HELEN TAYLOR
21 NOVEMBER 2005
Q20 Mr Havard: We have
a recent decision now where ATC Lasham will come and do what they
are doing on site, and that is obviously very welcome. Do you
see that as in some way assisting you and your members now with
the transfer of jobs in any particular way?
Mr Godsell: It was always the
strategy that companies like ATC Lasham be brought to the aerospace
business park, but that was meant to be additional rather than
instead of. That should still be the aim. DARA St Athan, or whatever
the facility might be in the future, should be the cornerstone
which sustains the business—
Q21 Mr Havard: Do you
see the Red Dragon upgrade of the facilities helping you to get
more and more of this commercial work? Is that helpful?
Ms Speight: Not without DARA.
DARA was going to be the hook on which to fetch commercial business
to the Red Dragon project. It was a hook because the skills were
there; because the apprentice training school was there. We were
turning out higher skilled aircraft technicians, which, when we
had a surplus of them, any commercial business could have come
to the Red Dragon project, set up business and had a ready-made
workforce. It was one of the reasons that British Airways set
up the maintenance facility at Cardiff Airport; because they knew
RAF St Athan was turning out highly-skilled aircraft technicians.
That was why the decision was made to move to British Airways.
That has always been the hook to fetch commercial business to
Red Dragon.
Q22 Mr Havard: The last
question is about DARA Fleetlands and also Almondbank. You made
reference to them earlier on, Bryan. What should the MoD be doing
now to help ensure their viability?
Mr Godsell: The MoD should be
retaining the work and allowing DARA to be viable under the principles
that it was set up under. That appears now not to be the case.
The concerns I have are that this is the thin edge of the wedge,
or some strategy to transfer work into the private sector. We
do not have any fear of working in the private sector, but in
terms of the questions that you have asked previously, if that
is cost-effective is it more or less likely to be cost-effective
in a monopoly situation? Is there going to be more or less risk
if you are extending service intervals? Where are we going and
what is the direction on MoD defence policy?
Q23 Robert Key: Is Airbus
at Toulouse actively recruiting at DARA St Athan now?
Mr Godsell: Airbus Toulouse? Airbus,
as an entity, is recruiting aggressively. Toulouse is quite an
attractive option to our members—but they are recruiting,
we understand, aggressively.
Q24 Robert Key: Are there
any other companies that are recruiting from anywhere else in
the world, knowing what is happening at St Athan?
Mr Cooper: I do not think we are
aware of any, but we can let the Committee know in writing of
predators circling the facilities!
Mr Godsell: Engineering-based
companies in the sector, in the transport sector, are operating
performance skills that are not heard of today. I make the point
that once those skills are lost, you cannot rebuild them.
Q25 Robert Key: Those
are the very fortunate ones. What about those who are not directly
being recruited, for whatever reason—age or whatever? What
help is being given by the Ministry of Defence or by Government
agencies to find alternative employment?
Mr Godsell: There is significant
support in terms of assistance from the MoD and the Welsh Assembly
and other organisations, but there is no guarantee of alternative
employment. We must be mindful that we are in a geographical area
that has seen significant job losses in the last six months. Even
though the skills might be transferable, the opportunities do
not exist for alternative employment in the area. That is a very
key point that we would like to impress upon the Government. While
many of the job losses in the area are outside their control perhaps,
the job losses at St Athan—and it is not just 500, it has
been 1,550 over two years—need to be addressed. They can
change the position, and hopefully you can influence their decision.
Q26 Robert Key: Have any
websites been set up specifically to cope with the problem of
St Athan? Are there any websites you would like to point me in
the direction of to go and educate myself? Are there any blogging
sites that have been established, and could you give me their
addresses?
Mr Godsell: I am not in a position
to say today, but I am sure that if our members have, we can provide
them in due course.
Chairman: That is the end of this session
with you. I would like to thank you and everybody who has been
helping you so effectively for this evidence session. I have found
it extremely helpful and very lucid, and we are most grateful.
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