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Defence training review update

9 June 2010

· Future of DTR Pk1 in doubt and Pk2 dead · Trouble with planning permission at St Athan · QinetiQ reveals its new colours · Raytheon accused of “Hoodwinking” Northern Irish citizens

The future of the defence training review (DTR) remains uncertain at the moment following the election of the CONDEM government. During the election campaign Liam Fox had stated that the DTR programme would be subjected to the findings of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). This entirely sensible sanity check had previously been proposed by PCS, but was rejected out of hand by the IPT.

Now PCS has been advised by sources close to the programme that DTR pk1 has been forced into the SDR leaving METRiX uncertain of the Defence Academy’s future. Obviously, this is bad news for METRiX, but civil servants will no doubt welcome the reprieve. In an attempt to gain clarity over this issue MoD CSU sought information upon the status of the programme. The IPT replied,
“Whilst we can confirm we are aware of speculation on this topic we cannot confirm or deny whether such speculation is well founded.”

The IPT are not denying that it’s a consideration, and members will read between the lines and come to their own conclusion.

Indeed it is rumoured that METRiX are telling anyone who will listen that they cannot hold the programme together much longer.


And to add further misery to the METRiX consortium it was reported in Wales Online that David Cameron had said in relation to DTR on 17th May:
“...future defence policy would depend on mobile, highly trained staff. But he insisted that a Strategic Defence Review must take place first and said there were ‘a lot of competing priorities.’ “.


Another one bites the dust


PCS has been officially advised that DTR Pk2 is now dead in the water. The IPT TL for package 2 admitted that the programme no longer included training transformation and was effectively a build programme. This has now been confirmed, although with the scale of cuts proposed by the CONDEMs, members should expect a new programme to rear its head in the future- if the price is right.


St Athan compulsory purchase order uncertain


The government inspectorate may uphold objections for the compulsory purchase of land to build access roads at the Defence Academy at St Athan. Max Wallis, who spoke for ‘Friends of the Earth’ said,
“We found the whole St Athan project is severely scaled down, which removes all logic for building a new college from scratch.”

It was revealed that capacity had been reduced from 6,000 to a mere 2,700, a reduction of 55%.

Wallis stated “The 4,000 units of accommodation ...at Blandford base would be more than sufficient.” (This would save, according to Wallis, 200 admin jobs at the site. This isn’t to mention Instructor jobs in addition.) The same argument could be made for Sultan or Cosford.

Clearly this programme is another white elephant. The new builds at St Athan would cost £100 million at a time when the MoD’s budget is under severe strain. The only sensible course now is to bin DTR and focus on training outputs, rather than new toys for senior officers. MoD spent £100 million on Blandford ten years ago and like other sites it provides excellent courses and training facilities already.


QinetiQ – Preparing you for a future you cannot imagine


It’s hard to imagine things could have got worse in QinetiQ. There was the scandal of the company being undersold, the huge profits of the Managing Director upon floatation, the criticism of QinetiQ in the Nimrod report, and pay freezes. Its profits are expected to fall by 25% this year. Then QinetiQ decided to rip up its agreements with the unions and try to impose new redundancy terms – and members will be unsurprised to note that these will be less advantageous than the terms that TUPE transferred with Civil Servants in the first place.

Now the company is looking to reduce its operating costs by 10%. “Operating costs” is Corporate speak for people. This was demonstrated in an email by the new CEO, Leo Quinn, who said,
“Our people costs make up the largest proportion of our total operating costs and so we have to look at spending more wisely in this area.”

If QinetiQ follow the logic of organisations like Vosper Thorneycroft, then they will focus especially upon non income generating parts of the business. This could affect the DTR programme indirectly if it is moved into the SDR.
QinetiQ have always been quick to assure PCS that our members have nothing to fear in working for them. Indeed, they characterise themselves as like the Civil Service. That claim now looks more doubtful than ever.

Raytheon- an ethical company?


Quite recently at a DTR IPT meeting, PCS raised concerns about the MoD working with Raytheon and companies like them. Our concern was private company’s profit motive and their willingness to cut corners as is highlighted in the Nimrod report. Raytheon- the manufacturer of Patriot missiles, bunker busting bombs and now the pain ray assured PCS they were an ethical company. They recognise trade unions in the UK. The company is rigorous in its commitment to ethics. It regularly runs ethics training for its staff.

In an article in Indymedia written by Eamonn McCann (http://www.indymedia.ie/article/79073) Raytheon appears to be portrayed in a different light.


Conclusion


If DTR is put into the SDR this will have been a major success for PCS and its political work.
 

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