Memorandum by Jane Hutt, Assembly Member
for the Vale of Glamorgan
Thank you for giving me the opportunity of presenting
evidence to you as part of your inquiry into Delivering Front
Line Capability to the RAF. I do so as Assembly Member for the
Vale of Glamorgan as many of my constituents have been affected
by recent MoD decisions concerning the future of DARA St Athan.
I have deep concerns for the highly skilled workforce who are
substantially drawn from my constituency. I will be doing everything
I can to assist them in the difficult time they face ahead and
engaging with my Welsh Assembly Government colleagues to attract
new contracts to St Athan. I wish to concentrate my comments,
however, on my concerns about the wider issues that your inquiry
is focused upon.
The new £80 million+ Red Dragon super-hangar
at St Athan is widely recognised as the best military aircraft
repair and overhaul facility in Europe and it has state of the
art facilities funded by the MoD and Welsh Assembly Government.
In addition, DARA St Athan also has a number of highly specialised
facilities of its own, such as state of the art paint facilities
and component repair capabilities, which I understand are not
available at the Main Operating Bases. Replicating these facilities
in front line bases is unlikely to be more cost effective than
concentrating all deep maintenance into a single pre-existing
facility.
Under MoD proposals the repair, maintenance and overhaul
of the RAF's fast jets will be transferred from St Athan to hangars
in front line bases, which are dated and in need of substantial
investment. It is unlikely that deep maintenance work carried
out in such conditions will match the excellent turn-around times
and efficiencies achieved at DARA St Athan. It also seems unsuitable
for aircraft upgrade and deep maintenance to be carried out within
the pressurized environment of front line bases. Indeed, I understand
from the recent Defence debate in the House of Commons that the
turnaround times at St Athan are well in advance of those at the
Main Operating Bases.
Finally, part of the MoD rationale for rolling fast
jet maintenance forward to front line bases was to better utilise
uniformed personnel, but I understand that civilian manpower is
being recruited and employed to deliver on contract expectations,
which is clearly at odds with this rationale.
November 2005
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