All well and good, but independence isn't assured by physical location, but by design. With all due respect to the present DGs of the MAA and the MAAIB, their careers and pensions are at the discretion of the operator, ie the RAF/MOD. That isn't independence in my book. Of course the MAAIB and MAA must be manned by Service personnel, they can't possibly function otherwise, but they must be established outside of the MOD and headed by civilian DGs. That is independence. "Effective" independence is not.
