MoD receive flak for DARA decision (From Barry And District News)

MoD receive flak for DARA decision

THE MoD's decision to axe 500 jobs at the Vale's DARA facility has been highly criticised in a report by the Commons Defence Committee (CDC).

The cuts, which come into effect in April, were announced in November as part of a total of 725 job losses at DARA facilities across the UK.

The CDC report, which was released yesterday, says the prospects for the DARA St Athan site, including the recently completed 104m Superhangar facility, are now in doubt.

It also states the decision to go ahead with the funding for the Red Dragon project in 2003 was "incomprehensible and extraordinary", given the uncertainty surrounding air logistic provision at the time.

The chairman of the defence committee James Arbuthnot said: "The committee felt that the combination of decisions - to pour taxpayers money into an outstanding new facility in St Athan at the very same time as the MoD was conducting a review which would take the work away from that facility, was quite extraordinary.

"The new arrangements for doing the repairs to RAF aircraft may work, but they may not."