Chiefs deal hammer blow
Apr 24 2004 By Dave Black, The Journal
Page 3: Blair accused of making decision 'too quick'
The decision to close most of RAF Boulmer yesterday followed what may have been one of the shortest Prime Ministerial examinations of an issue in recent political history.
Just 48 hours beforehand, in answer to a Commons question from Berwick MP Alan Beith, Tony Blair had promised to look into the issue of whether the closure plan really would save money.
The Prime Minister told MPs on Wednesday: "I am happy to examine the matter, but I do so without commitment or guarantee."
Asked yesterday by The Journal how closely Mr Blair had in fact examined the issue, Downing Street initially refused to give an answer before confirming he discussed it with Ministry of Defence officials on Wednesday afternoon.
Following that discussion, Mr Blair wrote to Mr Beith, standing by the figures previously given by the MoD that the closure plan would save £16m a year.
But Mr Beith then received a separate letter from Defence Minister Adam Ingram which in fact confirmed that the MoD had over-estimated the amount of the proposed savings by £3m.
Speaking after the closure announcement yesterday, Mr Beith was far from satisfied that the Prime Minister had in fact given the matter the attention it deserved.
He said: "I shall be asking him what consideration he did give to it. It may prove to be the shortest Prime Ministerial examination on record but I want to know more details."
A Downing Street spokesman said that the Prime Minister was continuing to "examine" the issue and that no final decision on the future of RAF Boulmer would be made until June. He said: "Adam Ingram has not announced a final decision because there will be a period of consultation with the trade unions.
"We are not at the point where a final decision has been taken, so the Prime Minister continues to examine it, and the answer he gave in the House on Wednesday still stands.
"The Prime Minister wrote to Alan Beith in the day of PMQs explaining the rationale for the relocation of units at RAF Boulmer," he added.
In his original question to the Prime Minister, Mr Beith argued that the MoD would have to spend at least £15m replacing facilities at RAF Boulmer. He had argued all along that the potential savings from the partial closure had been over-estimated because it would still be necessary to keep RAF Boulmer open as a helicopter base. Mr Beith also claimed that taking £20m out of the economy of Northumberland "flies in the face" of regional policies.
Rescuers to stay
The "draw down" of RAF Boulmer - to use the MoD's phrase - will result in the removal of over 600 staff from the base.
The site currently houses a School Fighter Centre, No 1 Air Control Centre, a control and support centre bunker, support, administration and engineering squadrons and A Flight 202 Search and Rescue and headquarter squadrons. After the job losses and relocations take place, only the Search and Rescue squadron and a remote radar will remain. The Sea King Search and Rescue squadron will be manned by 70 people and the radar by between 20 and 25.
RAF station that began life as a wartime decoy
RAF Boulmer began life as a decoy air base in 1941, diverting German attacks from bases like RAF Acklington, north of Morpeth.
In 1943 Spitfires from No 57 Operational Training Unit, based at RAF Eshott, started using the decoy site at Boulmer as a relief landing ground. Later that year, the site's use was expanded - three tarmac runways were installed and Anti-Aircraft and RAF Regiment units deployed to the unit, which became home to No 9 Battle Training School.
During the 1970s, radar controllers from Boulmer routinely detected Soviet aircraft probing the UK Air Defence Region and scrambled Quick Reaction Alert aircraft to intercept them.
In 1978, A Flight 202 Squadron moved from Acklington to Boulmer equipped with 2 Whirlwind helicopters which became re-equipped with the more capable Sea King in the Search and Rescue role.
Some of the flight's more notable rescues have included Alexander Kielland, Piper Alpha and the Fineagle, and the flight has been honoured with many awards for bravery, including a George Medal.
In 1990, Boulmer's links with Air Defence were reinforced by the arrival of the School of Fighter Control from West Drayton.
The school runs over 40 different courses, including those on aircraft control, digital data links, radar theory and air battle management and trains 850 students per year.
