Rather than get upset over a little personal digging which, God knows, I get enough of myself on this forum, perhaps we should concentrate on the main issue.
As Flipster says, Haddon-Cave claimed airworthiness failings only commenced in 1998 with the demise of the RAF Chief Engineer post. In saying this, he implied the CE had the responsibility and ability to prevent such failings.
This cannot be reconciled with;
a. The Chief of Defence Procurement’s admission to the Public Accounts Committee in March 1998 that the Chinook (and other aircraft) still suffered from long-term systemic airworthiness failings.
b. Evidence presented to Haddon-Cave that these failings commenced in, at least, 1988.
c. Evidence heard by the Board of Inquiry relating to these failings.
It follows ACM Alcock has some explaining to do. He has put his name in the public domain by signing letters to the press “Chief Engineer 1991-96”. My first question would be – So what
did you do about the systemic failings you were notified of throughout your tenure?
Given CDP’s evidence in 1998, not a lot it would seem. But, he must be given the opportunity to state his case and Lord Philip is, I suggest, just the man. One must be fair and the evidence is he inherited major legacy problems from his predecessors.