e-mail sent on 19 Feb:
"Dear Mr Hoon,
Can you tell me when the MOD are going to re-open the BOI to reverse the findings of the 2 Air Marshalls, in view of the Lords Select Committee findings that there is no case to answer for the finding of gross negligence against the 2 pilots?
Yours sincerely,"
Reply received 03 Apr:
"Thank you for your e-mail of 19 February to the Secretary of State for Defence concerning the Chinook accident on the Mull of Kintyre. As is usual in such cicumstances your message has been passed to this branch for attention as we have responsibility for this matter.
No doubt your e-mail was prompted by the publication of the House of Lords Select Committee Report about the accident. We are currently studying and fully assessing the Report and will provide a response to Lord Jauncey, the Chairman of the Select Committee in due course. It would be inappropriate to make substantive comment about the Report before then.
Yours sincerely
Nan Bellchambers"
Oh how slowly does grind the wheels of Whitehall...
