HC Deb 03 March 1997 vol 291 cc485-6W
Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have been made to the procedures and regulations governing Royal Air Force accident investigation and the role of senior officers in relation to board of inquiry findings since June 1994. [17989]

Mr. Soames

The following changes have taken place since June 1994:

  1. (a) The minimum rank of the president of a board of inquiry into an aircraft accident has been raised from Flight Lieutenant to Squadron Leader.
  2. (b) The role of the relevant Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the investigation has been titled "Reviewing Authority" (it was previously untitled).
  3. (c) Assessment of the degree of negligence has been transferred from the president of the board of inquiry to the convening and reviewing authorities.
  4. (d) An intermediate degree of negligence has been introduced, such that negligence is now described as "minor", "major" or "gross".
  5. (e) Differences in the rules on representation at boards of inquiry for service men and service women were removed.
  6. (f) Persons affected were given the right to make a further statement if the degree of negligence attributed by one authority was increased by another.