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Rocket range threat widely known in 2007 5/2/10
► MoD’s letter to Western Isles Council, 2007 612 kb
► Council’s first request for a meeting, 2007 265 kb
► MoD’s letter to MP, 2007 40 kb
It has emerged that employees at the South Uist rocket range were informed of the threat to run down the base in the summer of 2007, according to a letter from a top military boss.
A letter from Alan Tindall, a top MoD business and secretariat manager, shows that the proposals to get rid of jobs were widely circulated in July 2007.
The senior civil servant spelled out the drastic moves to automate weapons trials and missile tracking on top of a move to close down the West Camp accommodation in Benbecula.
He pointed out that range contractor Qinetic was informing personnel about the proposed run down at Geirnish, Balivanich and St Kilda. It is understood trade unions and workforce representatives were also aware of the threat.
The National Trust for Scotland, landlords of St Kilda, was also told as was the Scottish Government.
Western Isles Council received a similar letter and faxed it to the Uist and Barra councillors. It was discussed informally with some other councillors.
Alan Tindall’s letter to the council, dated 5th July 2007, is a cut-
Critics wrongly maintained the MP had exclusive information about the plan and failed
to share the information that the range -
Claims that a fight-
But it does raise the question of why the apparent lack of visible action. Despite the wide early warning of the potential economic catastrophe there was no organised move to publicly pressurise the UK Government.
Western Isles Council’s chief executive Malcolm Burr received a letter from MoD official Alan Tindall, on 5th July 2007, emphasising the stark proposals and their significant implications for the bases and workforce.
The council thanked the MoD for its “early notification” of the cuts, in its reply five days later, and expressed concern over job losses which “given the particular fragility of the economy of Uist could have a potentially highly damaging effect.”
Six months later, news of the potential crisis broke into the public domain. The
story ran in the local and Scottish media -
On Radio nan Gaidheal community activist Mary Bremner spelled out the dire consequences
for employment and the islands’ population. Councillor and businessman Peter Carlin
warned of the knock-
The West Highland Free Press of February 8th 2008 was spot on with its report of
the three-
However, it is unclear if South Uist landlords, Storas Uibhist , which owns the land used for weapons testing, knew of the threat at that time. Despite the publicity, its chairman Angus Macmillan recently suggested it had no idea.
Western Isles Council points out it enlisted the offices of MP Angus Macneil and
MSP Alasdair Allan to help -
At the time it was widely understood the review would be completed by April 2008 but it ran on for a further 14 months.
The council and politicians were thwarted by the MoD which rejected requests for information or a meeting. For the best part of two years it steadfastly refused to keep the elected representatives, employees or the community updated over the review.
While the council knew and Southern Isles members had the high level data, the Lewis and Harris members were not formally briefed. It is unclear if they realised the seriousness of the threat.
Curiously, there was no formal report or official debate in the council though the issue would have been raised informally. If they were indeed aware of the cuts, the Lewis and Harris representatives would have looked to the Uist councillors to take the lead within the council.
Donald Manford, SNP council group leader and transportation chairman, says he and MP Angus Macneil focused on the issue but were frustrated by the communications blackout from the MoD.
He said in August 2008, he and council leader Angus Campbell discussed the issue with Des Browne, the then Labour Government Defence Minister, who insisted “the enquiry was running and there was no information available until the review was concluded.”
Mr Manford points out this was reported back to an informal meeting attended by councillors.
In May last year chief executive Malcolm Burr appealed to Labour candidate Donald John Macsween to use his contacts within the UK Government to check on progress.
The council explained: 'Cllr Macsween was asked to assist in obtaining information about what was being planned for the Range. The Comhairle was attempting to get further information and had asked for a meeting with the MoD.
“No response had been forthcoming on that and so we were attempting to use all contacts to obtain further information.”
It is understood the majority of councillors -
Councillor, and Labour candidate, Donald John Macsween, who says the MP failed to take effective action, points out he was never told of the proposed cuts until last summer and then lobbied senior politicians in his party to reverse the decision.
An 11th hour task force gained cross party support when it was established in June 2009 and succeeded in overturning the plans.