HC Deb 22 January 2002 vol 378 cc730-1W
Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent by the RAF in training Flight Lieutenant A. L. Adams. [28384]

Dr. Moonie

Individual training costs are not collected. Flight Lieutenant Adams' Initial Officer Training is estimated to have cost approximately £16,500 and his flying training of the order of £770,000 excluding his salary and allowances.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the costs incurred in the process of redress initiated by Flight Lieutenant A. L. Adams. [28385]

Dr. Moonie

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the personal files recently supplied to Flight Lieutenant A. L. Adams. [28387]

Dr. Moonie

In accordance with exemptions 8a and 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, personal data are not to he disclosed without the consent of the individual to whom the information applies. All personal data relating to Flight Lieutenant Adams' redress of complaint are in his possession and it is for him to determine whether and how they should be placed in the public domain.

Mr. Jack

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for no conclusion having been reached through process of redress initiated by Flight Lieutenant A. L. Adams. [28386]

Dr. Moonie

Flight Lieutenant Adams voluntarily withdrew from fast-jet flying training in October 1999, and was subsequently restreamed to rotary wing training rather than his preference of multi-engine training. He initiated the process of redress in March 2000. His complaint was rejected by the Commander-in-Chief, Royal Air Force Personnel and Training Command in December 2000. Flight Lieutenant Adams subsequently asked for the matter to be considered by the Air Force Board. Under the procedures followed during the consideration of a redress of complaint, all appropriate documents are disclosed to the complainant, who is invited to comment, before they are submitted to the decision-maker. This inevitably prolongs the process, and Flight Lieutenant Adams has commented, as is his right, on four separate occasions since the relevant synopsis was first disclosed to him in March 2001. It was necessary to postpone a scheduled meeting of the Air Force Board in September in order to take account of his latest comments. The case is now under consideration by the Air Force Board, who have asked for further information on which Flight Lieutenant Adams has been invited to comment before his case can be considered further.