Defence committee pays visit to Barry (From Barry And District News)

Defence committee pays visit to Barry

VALE of Glamorgan Assembly Member Jane Hutt this week joined trade unions and John Smith MP in welcoming the House of Commons Defence Select Committee to Barry.

John Smith MP is a member of the committee.

In her evidence to the Defence Select Committee Inquiry which visited St Athan on Monday and took evidence from Trade Unions and the chief executive of DARA in the Civic Offices in Barry, Jane Hutt said that many of her constituents have been affected by recent MoD decisions concerning the future of St Athan.

She said: "I have deep concerns for my constituents and the highly skilled workforce.

"I wish to concentrate my comments here, however, to my concerns about the wider issues which your inquiry is focused upon.

"The new Red Dragon super-hangar at St Athan is the best military aircraft repair and overhaul facility in Europe and it has state of the art facilities. In addition, DARA St Athan has a number of specialised facilities of its own which I understand are not available at the RAF Main Operating Bases.

"Replic-ating 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.

"Finally, part of the MoD rationale for rolling fast jets forward to front line bases was to better utilise uniformed personnel, though I understand that civilian manpower is being recruited and employed at front line bases."