ANGLESEY'S MP has urged the government to focus on safety rather than finance after plans to privatise search and rescue helicopter operations on bases such as RAF Valley were suspended.
Anglesey MP Albert Owen believed that the Department of Transport (DfT) must consider RAF Valley’s strategic location for search and rescue work, after it announced that it would investigate how preferred bidder Soteria had obtained privileged information.
He said “What I want to see is that we maintain that strategic importance and maintain it as a centre of excellence , and that means putting the focus on the importance of search and rescue work, and not financial processes.”
While Mr Owen would prefer that the service was not privatised, he urged the government to examine British bidders.
He added: “It is more secure to have it as an RAF headquarters, because you have the military expertise alongside the excellent work of the civilian maintenance staff.”
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced in December that an investigation was underway into Soteria’s access to the MoD/DfT project team’s evaluations of industry bids.
There was also evidence that a former project team member had assisted the consortium in its bid preparation, contrary to explicit assurances given to the project team.
Soteria said in a statement that it was disappointed to learn of the cancellation.