Defence Minister denies military involvement in town's schools
March 3, 2009 12:00 AM
Alderman Blaxill School which is proposed for closure
Claims that there is to be a military involvement with one or more of Colchester's secondary schools have been denied by Defence Minister
Mr Kevan Jones MP.
The denial comes in a Written Parliamentary Answer to Colchester MP Bob Russell who had asked the Secretary of State about such military involvement after North Essex Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin and Colchester Conservatives claimed, as part of proposals to re-organise the town's secondary schools, that this was going to happen.
Mr Russell had asked on what dates Defence Ministers had meetings with (a) Lord Hanningfield, Conservative Leader of Essex County Council and (b) Mr Jenkin "to discuss the involvement of the Ministry of Defence in a military academy school or a military vocation college at Colchester."
In his Written Answer, Mr Jones said: "I met Mr Jenkin and the Leader of Essex County Council on 28 January. No decision has been made regarding MOD involvement in an Academy school in the Colchester area and no proposal has been tabled by local authorities for any such initiative."
He added: "Should an appropriate proposal be made, the Ministry of Defence would not be opposed in principle and would examine any proposal on its merits."
Mr Russell said today: "I am delighted that I can put the record straight - there is no military component featured in the re-organisation of Colchester's secondary schools, and no such proposal has been put to the Ministry of Defence. It is extremely regrettable that, to put it as mildly as I can, that Colchester Conservatives in general and Mr Jenkin through his comments in the media have given the strong impression that there has been some agreement within Government that this is to happen.
"In fact, it is not even something which Essex County Council - under its Conservative leadership - has pursued other just one month ago when Lord Hanningfield, long after the initial consultation process was over, clearly was obliged to provide some face-saving for Mr Jenkin by agreeing to accompany him to a meeting with Junior Defence Minister Kevan Jones."
Mr Russell said that he remained opposed to the closure of Thomas Lord Audley and Alderman Blaxill Schools, and would continue to campaign to keep them open.
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