Nigel
"The two reasons I have heard time and again for not introducing MRA4 with adequate safety equipment are lack of time and lack of money".
I know this is the official line, but given the MRA4 programme kicked off when all these problems/requirements were known about, I'd say there was adequate time and opportunity to put it in the spec in the first place. (Note - MRA4 would have been specified, not subject to a URD where DEC isn't allowed to actually specify what he wants). This timeline, and the issues being known and understood, is becoming more clear with the release of the QQ report.
Sorry you needed to read my post twice, but you did understand it and agreed with me? Makes a change from my PE 2*. He understood every word when I put the same to him, but he showed me the door and slammed it behind me. Oddly enough, same day the Sqn Ldr mentioned the slippage.