Asking the right questions

Following my last blog entry when I was being attacked by several Labour MPs for daring to ask questions about St Athan, I have been delighted to receive countless messages of support from people I know and many I don’t know. Thank you all.

We had a very good debate on defence and St Athan in the Plaid National Council meeting and passed a resolution which I’ve printed below. You’ll probably have read in the press that it was either thrown out or just “noted” but that’s not true. There are people who support the project but still want to ask questions about the arms companies involved and what kind of jobs might be created. And of course this is a massive privatisation of military training – putting it in the hands of private companies. As usual, Plaid is asking the right questions. If the right answers are there, why should anyone be so outraged? I won’t be bullied into keeping quiet over something that is so important and which so many constituents have raised with me. That’s why they elected me.

There was a lot said last week about the St Athan development that’s not true. Only the first phase of the project is going ahead at the moment which will not create the 6,000 jobs some people keep claiming. It’s more like 2 – 3,000 and we don’t know yet how many will be moved from other areas and how many will be local. We’ve heard promises like this before, remember! We need a lot more answers.

Polisi Plaid Cymru ar Sain Tathan, cytunwyd yn y Cyngor Cenedlaethol 17/11/07

Ar ôl trafodaeth o’r papur a gyflwynwyd gan Jill Evans ASE a nifer o welliannau, fe gytunwyd:

Mae’r Cyngor Cenedlaethol:

• Yn nodi’r papur safle atodedig ar amddiffyn
• yn nodi taw penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU yn unig oedd sefydlu Academi Hyfforddiant Amddiffyn yn Sain Tathan
• yn nodi fod nifer o aelodau’r Blaid – am resymau crefyddol a moesol – yn rhan o’r ymgyrch yn erbyn y datblygiad hwn
• yn cadarnhau gwrthwynebiad Plaid Cymru i breifateiddio, gan gynnwys o hyfforddiant milwrol

Mae’r Cyngor Cenedlaethol ymhellach yn:

• cefnogi rhaglen datblygu economaidd llywodraeth Cymru’n Un a fydd yn sicrhau creu a chadw “cyflogaeth yn ôl egwyddorion cynaladwyedd, gan annog swyddi hirdymor o ansawdd uchel” ym mhob rhan o Gymru.
• galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru’n Un i lynu wrth y gofyniad statudol yn Neddfau Llywodraeth Cymru i hyrwyddo Datblygu Cynaliadwy.
• pwysleisio’r angen i’r Cynulliad gael gwybodaeth llawn o bob datblygiad yn ymwneud a’r Academi Hyfforddiant Amddiffyn ac i gael eu hymgynghori mewn penderfyniadau perthnasol i’r project yn y dyfodol
• nodi nad oes gwariant uniongyrchol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ar yr Academi Hyfforddiant Amddiffyn ond yn gofyn fod unrhyw wariant a ddaw yn sgil y datblygiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru’n hysbys i’r cyhoedd
• galw am wybodaeth mwy manwl am y mathau o swyddi fydd yn cael eu cynnig i bobl lleol a’r lefelau cyflog y cynllunnir
• galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru’n Un i ofyn am sicrhad nad yw’r cwmnïau sydd yng nghonsortiwm Metrix yn ymwneud a’r fasnach anghyfreithlon mewn arfau anfoesol ac i’r wybodaeth honno fod yn gyhoeddus
• galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru’n Un i ofyn am warant o Lywodraeth Prydain na gynigir hyfforddiant i wledydd sydd yn annemocrataidd neu’n euog o dorri hawliau dynol
• ail-ddatgan ei gwrthwynebiad i ryfel Irac ac yn nodi ei phryder ynglyn â danfon milwyr heb fod ganddynt yr offer addas.

Plaid Cymru Policy on St Athan, agreed in National Council, 17/11/07

After a discussion on the paper presented by Jill Evans and a number of amendments it was agreed:

National Council:

• notes the attached position paper on defence
• notes that the decision to establish a DTA at St Athan was the decision of the UK government alone
• notes that many party members – for religious and moral reasons – are campaigning against the development
• reiterates Plaid Cymru’s opposition to privatisation, including that of military training

National Council further:

• supports the economic development programme of the One Wales government which will ensure the creation and retention of employment “firmly guided by sustainability principles, encouraging long term, high quality jobs” in all parts of Wales
• calls on the One Wales Government to remain committed to the stautory requirement in the Government of Wales Acts to promote sustainable development
• emphasises the need for the Assembly to be kept fully informed of all developments relating to the Defence Training Academy and to be consulted on all future decisions relating to the project
• notes that there is no direct spending by the NAG on the Defence Training Academy but asks that any ancillary spending by the Welsh government is made public
• calls for more detailed information about the kind of jobs that would be offered to local people and the planned wage levels
• calls on the One Wales Government to seek assurances that the companies involved in the Metrix consortium are not engaged in the illegal trade of unethical arms and to make that information public
• calls on the One Wales Government to request a guarantee from the British Government that no training will be offered to countries which are undemocratic or guilty of human rights abuses
• reiterates our opposition to the Iraq war and notes our concern regarding sending soldiers without them having the appropriate equipment.