DON’T WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY…

A recent FOI request by Plaid Cymru revealed that the eighty medically trained military personnel have been made redundant following Westminster Government cuts since 2010. This figure is probably going to increase following the withdrawal of UK troops from Afghanistan. It would be a wasted opportunity not to try and recruit the services of some of the best trained medical professionals, who have a proven record of leadership in difficult circumstances, into the Welsh NHS.

The Party of Wales Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones AM said:

“It would be a huge missed opportunity not to seek out highly skilled, highly trained medical experts with experience of working in challenging circumstances. Those who have lost their jobs from the Armed Forces should be targeted for recruitment into the Welsh NHS to help meet the demands and challenges of turning around outcomes in the NHS frontline for the benefit of Welsh patients. They have an abundance of transferable skills that could be well received, particularly in our struggling A&E departments.

“A number of those former military medical staff will have leadership experience and I’m sure their skills could be utilised by the NHS.

“Without doubt, those 80 who have been made redundant by the Coalition G0vernment to date, as highly skilled individuals would likely have found alternative employment by now. But I want the Welsh Government to be proactive in identifying and seeking out those medical personnel who may be leaving the forces in the future and consider the possibility of developing a specific recruitment strategy for them.

“Former military medical personnel are highly respected and I’m sure their involvement would be a boost to morale among NHS staff and a shot in the arm for patient confidence in our health service.

“I’m very much looking forward to hearing views on such proposals as Plaid Cymru continues as the only party in Wales to think seriously and creatively about the recruitment options for the NHS.

“Our health service is in real need of new leadership.”

HONOUR SATISFIED?

Yesterday, Newport West Labour MP Paul Flynn was somewhat predictably suspended from the House of Commons after claiming that Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was lying to Parliament over the conflict in Afghanistan. He refused a request by the Speaker (John Bercow) to withdraw the accusation, was duly accused of "disorderly" behaviour, and was suspended from the chamber for the rest of Tuesday.

Equally predictably the Defence Secretary said that the comments were scandalous. Mr Flynn’s attack came during questions on NATO strategy in Afghanistan, as Mr Hammond denied suggestions that coalition military operation was being scaled down after a series of fatal (“Green on Blue”) attacks on international forces by Afghan troops they were training to take over security operations before the NATO withdrawal in 2014.

Predictable histrionics aside, Mr Flynn raises a valid point. You can put as much spin on it as you like, but it is difficult to put a positive spin on the fact that the US has suspended the training for new recruits to the Afghan local police while security checks are carried out on investigating any possible ties to the Taliban. This decision follows a number of incidents in which foreign troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers or policemen they have been training or working with.

As the 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of coalition forces in Afghanistan comes ever closer, the number of Taliban attacks looks to be increasing. The Labour MP for Newport West and a consistent opponent of the conflict, who was interviewed on BBC Radio Wales, noted that Dutch and Canadian troops had been withdrawn from combat and the UK should do the same.

The BBC liberates Kabul

It seems a very long time since the Taliban were routed from Kabul (and most of Afghanistan) following NATO's successful invasion of Afghanistan (back in 2001); the relative ease of victory turned out decidedly deceptive. If anyone had told us almost eleven years ago that some of our service personnel (including some of my relatives) would be effectively commuting back and for to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban insurgency many people may well have doubted their sanity.

The US and NATO seriously took their eyes of the ball by invading Iraq, Afghanistan was forgotten. Serious efforts to build up the Afghan army did not really start until 2009 by which time the security situation in Iraq was pretty grim. Prior to the renewed Taliban insurgency NATO's intended to create a small Afghan force to deal with internal disorder of a domestic variety rather than a full scale insurgency.

The new Afghan army should have provided the Afghan people with a visible sign of unity after several decades of brutal conflict and civil war. NATO’s training mission only began in earnest almost three years ago, at that point the Afghan army's desertion rate was around 85 percent. Things improved as from January to June (2011), NATO figures, showed that around 24,000 soldiers, some 14 percent of the 170,000-man force, deserted.

Once NATO departs, few impartial observers, doubt that after the Taliban and their militant allies will stream back into Afghanistan from their sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan no doubt refreshed, rearmed and refunded by the Pakistan military. By 2014 if Afghanistan's standing army is not unready and the Afghan government is not able to support it then some thirteen years of war, thousands of lives, and billions of dollars will have been squandered for nothing and the country will fall will some pretty grim consequences, even by Afghan standards, especially for Afghan women.

Another significant problem to be dealt with by 2014 is that the Afghan government, which is estimated to be probably the most corrupt government on earth. The levels of corruption show few signs of abating, with documented cases of Doctors working in government hospitals leaving wounded Afghan soldiers to expire in their hospital beds if bribes are not paid. For ordinary Afghans the medical infrastructure in the country could be best described as fragile.

Vast amounts of aid has been poured in Afghanistan in recent years, yet the Afghan government does not have a transparent, workable budget, at least not in the normal sense. For 2011 the Afghan budget was nominally $14.3 billion dollars over 90% of which comes from foreign aid, if past years are anything to go by much of it will be stolen way before it gets a chance of being spent on any intended purposes.

History repeated 1975? or 2015?

Once Afghanistan is out of sight and out of mind (just like Iraq) will the money keep flowing in? Or will the West make the same mistake is made in the late 1980s and drop any interest in the country? The last time that happened the Afghan people were abandoned following their defeat of the collapsing Soviet Union, they paid the butchers bill in spades.

After the civil war the Taliban swept into power...they appeared reasonable in comparison with the warlords (who are currently NATO’s gallant allies) and we should all be painfully aware of what followed.

THE OLD CONTEMPT FOR WALES

As we wait to hear about the cuts to Welsh Regiments, the news that that the Ministry of Defence decided not to participate in an enquiry by the Welsh Affairs Committee (chaired by David Davies MP for Monmouth) into the future of the remaining Welsh Regiments should not come as much of a surprise. The MoD along with much of Whitehall has a pretty clear track record of being pretty dismissive of Welsh concerns and interests, whether they are related to the impact of defence cuts or the historic acquisition of land in Wales for artillery ranges.

VETERANS INQUIRY

News that MPs are going to look at the services and support provided for our veterans and service personnel returning from active service duty is to be welcomed. Around 250,000 armed forces veterans live in Wales and their treatment will be looked at by the Commons' Welsh Affairs Committee. The inquiry will look at the support offered to former personnel and will ask whether government departments co-ordinate their activities. Medical and mental-health services will be considered by the MP’s. Evidence will be taken on the support services received by veterans and their families, including provision to help former military personnel resettle after completion of their service. Military housing for service personnel and their families still leaves a great deal to be desired. Our current and former service personnel and their families deserve better than they have got from previous Government. Will things get better? The precedents are not good, its worth remembering that sadly the bottom line is that live heroes, as ironically a predecessor Conservative - Liberal Coalition Government found out cost far more than dead ones.

COSTLY HEROES

News that the MOD has apologised after sacking 38 senior NCOs (some of whom were on front-line service in Afghanistan at the time) by email will provide scant comfort to those involved. No doubt the fantastic Dr Fox was incandescent with righteous indignation at the shoddy treatment of 22 warrant officers, all of whom had completed 22 years of service. having completed 22 years of service, senior personnel go onto what is known as VEngLC (or Versatile Engagement Long Career), which means that they go onto what's called the Long Service List (which is basically a rolling contract). This disgraceful incident is sadly not unique, I can remember the MOD getting into trouble a few years ago by harassing younger soldiers who had signed on for the 22 year enlistment. Basically the MOD has a problem with service personnel who sign on for long service - they cost money, build up years of service and pension commitments - so rather than honouring these service personnel, who pass on their skills and experience to younger soldiers and junior officers, the MOD pushes them out of the door. Military housing for service personnel and their families still leaves a great deal to be desired. The bottom line is that live heroes, as a predecessor Conservative - Liberal Coalition Government found out cost far more than dead ones.

A PRIVATISATION TOO FAR

News that the process of privatising the UK's search and rescue helicopters has been suspended after "irregularities" emerged in the bidding process to find a supplier, should not be a surprise. New Labour have twice tried (and failed) to privatise this service, and the Tories and Lib Dems were following them until the news of this leaked information, compromised the privatisation process.

An admission by the preferred supplier, Soteria, admitted it had access to commercially sensitive information, has derailed the privatisation process for the moment. The Department for Transport and Ministry of Defence (MOD) have now stated the preferred supplier would not be used and MoD Police are now investigating how commercially sensitive information came to be in the possession of the bidder.

The real question is not whether to privatise SAR or not (and my answer would be NOT) but what questionable idiot ever considered this option in the first place. Most people view the Search and Rescue services as the fourth emergency service. I have seen them flying round Snowdonia enough times (in fair and foul weather), to recognise their skill, dedication and bravery. The seas around Wales can be treacherous enough at times and there is little doubt that the military-trained helicopter patrols have helped to save many lives and strive to maintain the highest possible rescue standards.

The Conservative (sorry Con Dem) Government's decision to try to sell off (cheaply no doubt) the the Search and Rescue Service now thankfully hangs in the balance. Many people are very concerned that this is a privatisation too far - I would go further, this reckless plan to sell off the Search and Rescue services was dangerous to begin with and should be scrapped.

Our search and rescue service needs the most modern equipment and effective helicopters to carry out operations safely – privatisation of this essential service could lead to corners will be cut in order to make a profit and cost lives. The UK Westminster Government must now abandon its plans to sell off this vital life-saving service or risk selling it off on the cheap in order to make a quick saving, one that may put the lives of our service personnel and civilians at risk, which would be absolutely unacceptable.

TIME TO DELIVER ON THE PROMISES

Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader and defence spokesperson, Elfyn Llwyd MP, is right to warn that the UK government must undertake radical steps to help the rising numbers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) sufferers. The UK Government has taken its time in responding to the needs of our veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan - a number of whom are suffering from PTSD.

The Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, promised today to provide a 24-hour helpline and an additional 30 mental health nurses for veterans and serving soldiers. This is a step in the right direction but far bolder action needs to be undertaken to support our veterans and our serving service personnel and their families, who were promised help by New Labour, who failed to deliver.

Plaid's Elfyn Llwyd has long been at the forefront of a campaign for greater support for veterans of the Armed Forces and recently travelled to the United States as part of a delegation sponsored by the Howard League for Penal Reform to research the issue of why so many ex-servicemen and women end up in prison.

Plaid's Elfyn Llwyd MP said:

“This is an issue I have long campaigned for and I am extremely glad that the UK government has finally realised what a critical problem we face with veterans welfare. It is a crying shame that more is not done to support our young men and women when they leave the forces – particularly when we ask so much of them in going to war. PTSD is a problem that can take years, sometimes decades, to surface. We need to ensure that support is on offer whenever a veteran needs that support – not just immediately prior to leaving the forces. No doubt we have yet to witness the true scale of the mental health fall-out that will come in the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan. While I'm glad that steps are being taken, there is a certain 'de ja vu' in this announcement as it seems to be a re-hash of promises made by the last government.

Will this government really commit itself to tackling this ever increasing problem? We need to improve mental health screening of personnel when they sign up as well as developing a holistic and thorough support structure available for every veteran when they leave the forces. I have argued that there should be a thorough and separate review into resources spent on veterans – similar to the Defence review, that way would we would be closer to recognising where exactly, and how much, resources would be needed to begin targeting the problem. A structure needs to be in place to provide support and advice on accommodation, career advice and debt management as well as health and mental health issues, to target the social isolation experienced by many veterans.Only through developing a thorough support network will we be able to tackle the scandalous number of veterans who end up in the criminal justice system and in the homeless population.”

Sadly it should come as no real surprise to even the most impartial observer (or not) that UK Government's have a tendency to treat former (and serving) service personnel badly. On occasion you may well be driven to wonder if anything has changed; once again our heroes and heroines are doing battle in a distant land and their families are living quietly in sub-standard accommodation at home. They (my grandfather amongst them) were promised many years ago 'Homes fit for heroes' – but the last but one Conservative / Liberal Coalition found that honouring promises to heroes cost too much (what price the sacrifice made at the front?) once the war was over thus fell the Geddes Axe...

The only honourable exception to this roll of shame was the 1945 Labour Government, the rest have readily and speedily betrayed their promises our service personnel - admittedly usually after a wars conclusion rather than while it is still going on. It is deeply ironic that with the ninetieth anniversary of a UK Government betraying its promise to our soldiers to ensure that they had homes fit for heroes after the 1914 – 1918 war; that we find ourselves in a situation where soldiers families are living in sub-standard accommodation and our veterans and the sharp end of shoddy treatment for services rendered .

Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, promised today to provide a 24-hour helpline and an additional 30 mental health nurses for veterans and serving soldiers - lets hope this Government keeps its promises to our veterans and our serving service personnel.

ON ARMED FORCES DAY...

It's armed forces day today - with it's primary focus being on Cardiff and many other cities and towns across the UK. On Armed Forces Day, it's worth remembering that of late our Armed Forces and their families have long had much more lasting and meaningful support from the public than they have from their Governments, perhaps things will change under this Con Dem Government, I hope things will change for the better, but suspect that little will change save for the rhetoric. 

Much needs to change though for our serving service personnel, for service families accommodation, who have suffered from years of ongoing mismanagement of the MoD housing stock and a lack of investment in the welfare of troops and ex-servicemen who should rate far higher when it comes to Government thinking and Government policy.

Every now and again you can honestly sit here and think that little has changed over the years; once again our heroes and heroines are doing battle in a distant land and their families are living quietly in sub-standard accommodation at home. They (My grandfather amongst them) were promised many years ago 'Homes fit for heroes' – which were never delivered, too expensive in peacetime, when UK Governments have little need for heroes or honouring their wartime promises.  The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (in October last year) found not surprisingly that successive Governments at least; don't appreciate our soldiers one bit; as they proceed to hack the defence budget to save money here and there.

Sadly this should come as no real surprise, as there is a long tradition of successive Governments (with ironically the exception being the 1945 Labour Government) of betraying it's service personnel admittedly usually after a wars conclusion rather than while it is still going on. It is deeply ironic that with the ninety first anniversary of a UK Government betraying its promise to our soldiers to ensure that they had homes fit for heroes after the 1914 – 1918 war; that we find ourselves in a situation where soldiers families are continuing to live in sub-standard accommodation.

It is absolutely unacceptable that a third of forces families are living in poor accommodation and is equally amazing that such a large number of MoD properties remain empty at huge expense to the tax payer. It is clear that there has clearly been a long term underinvestment in service housing stock which is unacceptable.

It was and still is a grave insult to our forces that UK Government's - since the early 1990's  - regularly sent UK troops to fight in Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq (again) to mention but a few of Thatcher / Major and Blair's Wars when repeated questions about the provision of their equipment, the welfare and accommodation for their families at home were being  repeatedly raised and repeatedly ignored. 

Our service personnel and their families deserve much better than they are getting from the Government and they deserve far more than what is effectively one Government sponsored day per year...

Perhaps the last word should rightly go to Kipling...

Oh, it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Tommy, go away':
But it's 'Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to play -
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
Oh, it's 'Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to play.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?'
But it's 'Thin red line of 'eroes' when the drums begin to roll -
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
Oh, it's 'Thin red line of 'eroes when the drums begin to roll.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Chuck him out, the brute!'
But it's 'Saviour of 'is country' when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;

An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

-----------------------------

There is more than a degree of bitter sweet irony that Kipling's Tommy remains as relevant today as when it was written... so much for progress

A PRIVATISATION TOO FAR?

A combination of ideology driven idiocy and exceptionally poor financial management /judgement (take your pick?) as a result of dodgy decisions made during the dying days of John Major's Conservative Government may well be coming back to haunt Gordon Brown's New Labour Government during its dying days. New Labour Ministers are being blamed for allowing thousands of soldiers' homes to fall into ruin and disrepair after they were sold to the private sector in a £1.6 billion deal.

Some 57,600 homes from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were sold to City Financiers and then rent them back to troops for a profit. The terms of the deal, made in 1996 meant that the MoD remained responsible for the properties' upkeep and claimed that the extra cash from the deal would provide badly needed funds to help refurbish them. However, it has since emerged that the Westminster Government diverted most of the money elsewhere.

The deal has resulted in the payment of a tidy £1.67 billion to the Treasury for the homes, a profit share of £156m on the sale of surplus properties, yet many are dilapidated and unfit to live in. New figures reveal that the MoD has spent as little as £4.4m a year on maintenance and refurbishment. The Sunday Times revealed details of just how little the government has spent on the properties last week reporting that General Sir David Richards, the head of the army, was concerned that many troops felt undervalued because of cuts to housing and shortages in other areas.

By the mid-1990s, military housing around the country was in need of tens of millions of pounds worth of repairs. John Major's Conservative administration agreed to sell off the Military housing stock to the highest bidder, partly to raise funds for a refurbishment programme. The deal was put together in November 1996 with the government being paid for the homes, which would then be rented to troops and their families at below market rates. Surplus properties would be sold off with a percentage of the profits going to the Treasury. The consortium that acquired the military housing stock made more than £479m in profits from its investment vehicle (Annington Homes) and became one of the UK's largest owners of private residential property.

Now this was all fine in theory, as the soldiers and their families should have benefited from the deal with hundreds of millions of pounds pouring into the Treasury. However, the Sunday Times revealed that New Labour ministers ensured that only a fraction of that sums raised be spent on the housing stock that had generated the windfall. Annual expenditure revealed in a parliamentary answer) on maintenance and upgrade was revealed to have ranged from £4.4m to £13.9m between 2003 and 2008. New Labour Ministers have insisted that they will produce extra funds to help improve the quality of the homes and have pointed out that more than £27m was spent in the last financial year.

So what we have now as a result of decisions made by the previous Conservative Government and by successive New Labour Governments is army families living in substandard military accommodation some of whose loved ones are serving overseas - so much for the military covenant. The poor maintenance record predated privatisation of the military housing stock was a reality well prior to 1996. The Conservative Government then effectively washed its hands of a long standing problem, by selling off the military housing stock to the highest bidder in what can best be described a questionable deal which shifted responsibility onto someone else so that ministers who could not be held accountable and subsequent New Labour Governments failed miserably, to ensure that repair and maintenance was being carried out.

A bad situation was then made worse by successive New Labour government's failed to carry out basic repair and maintenance, they slashed the defence budget from which money for the maintenance of MOD property is provided. One wonders on what the £1.67 billion received was spent on and whether the then Chancellor Gordon Brown was ever aware of what was going on?

Successive Conservative and New labour Governments have treated our servicemen and their families with contempt, no wonder some people believe that it no longer matters which of the two larger party's is in government, as our servicemen will be treated with contempt, forced to buy their own kit and treated to a total lack of interest and yet time and time again it is our servicemen that will be called on to step in to pull the fat from the fire whether it is dealing with the consequences of strikes, disasters, the saving lives at sea, foot and mouth and almost everything else as an when necessary.

NEW LABOUR U-TURN ON TA CUTS

New Labour Ministers in the face of widespread opposition inside and outside of Parliament have reduced planned cuts to the Territorial Army (TA) and have been forced to make some concessions over planned cuts to the TA's training. Originally the MoD planned to cut £20m from the TA budget and halt all training for six months except for those due to be sent to Afghanistan.

Now following the latest New Labour U-Turn every unit will get one night's training a month while the TA budget will not be cut by as much. With more than 500 reservists serving in Afghanistan the future of the TA has has rapidly and quietly risen up the political agenda in recent months.

Despite this change of mind the TA's budget this year will be cut by £2.5m less than originally outlined, this belated change of mind is better but is still not good enough. Sadly it is fairly typical of the shoddy way that both successive New Labour and previous Conservative Governments have treated our soldiers over the years.

HOMES FIT FOR HEROES (AND TOMMY)

The publication of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report on service families accommodation, which reveals the scale of the ongoing mismanagement of the MoD housing stock and the lack of investment into the welfare of troops and ex-servicemen which should rate far higher then it clearly does when it comes to Government thinking, will no doubt cause a bit of stink and much muttering in the media - but none of it should come as a surprise.

Oh, it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Tommy, go away':
But it's 'Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to play -
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
Oh, it's 'Thank you, Mister Atkins,' when the band begins to play.

Every now and again you honestly sit there and blink and think that nothing has changed; once again our heroes and heroines are doing battle in a distant land and their families are living quietly in sub-standard accommodation at home. They (My grandfather amongst them) were promised many years ago 'Homes fit for heroes' – I think not and clearly neither does the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee - perhaps Kipling had it right – we don’t, well successive Governments at least; don’t appreciate our soldiers one bit; with their hack the budget there and save money here.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Sadly it should come as now real surprise, as there is a long tradition of successive Governments (with ironically the exception being the 1945 Labour Government) of betraying it's service personnel admittedly usually after a wars conclusion rather than while it is still going on. It is deeply ironic that with the ninetieth anniversary of a UK Government betraying its promise to our soldiers to ensure that they had homes fit for heroes after the 1914 – 1918 war; that we find ourselves in a situation where soldiers families are living in sub-standard accommodation.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?'
But it's 'Thin red line of 'eroes' when the drums begin to roll -
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
Oh, it's 'Thin red line of 'eroes when the drums begin to roll.

This timely report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee clearly shows that resources at the MoD are being scandalously mismanaged. It is absolutely unacceptable that a third of forces families are living in poor accommodation and is equally amazing that such a large number of MoD properties remain empty at huge expense to the tax payer. It is clear that there has clearly been a long term underinvestment in service housing stock which is unacceptable.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

It is a grave insult to our forces that while the UK Government is considering sending more troops to fight in Afghanistan, and questions are already raised as to the provision of their equipment, that their families at home are being badly let down. The families of our service men and women deserve much better than they are getting from the current Government. The Ministry of Defence must act on this report and improve the condition of service families’ accommodation.

Perhaps the last word should go to Kipling's Tommy...

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' 'Chuck him out, the brute!'
But it's 'Saviour of 'is country' when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!