HL Deb 21 December 2000 vol 620 cc88-9WA
Lord Jacobs

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether on 2 June 1994 the Chinook helicopter ZD 576 carried out an early morning sortie over Northern Ireland; and, if so, whether, following that flight, engineers made a check of the FADEC engine control system. [HL71]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

Chinook ZD 576 had carried out a morning sortie that day, returning to RAF Aldergrove at approximately 12.00 midday. The engineers would not have made a check of the FADEC before the subsequent flight; however, before leaving for Scotland the pilots would have carried out all the normal start up checks and procedures, which include FADEC checks.

Lord Eames

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in the light of the recent report by the Public Accounts Committee on the Chinook helicopter crash in Scotland, they are prepared to reexamine the findings of the Royal Air Force Inquiry. [HL74]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

The Government have said that, if new evidence were to come to light, it would be examined with scrupulous care, thoroughness and compassion. To date, we have seen nothing that causes us to doubt the integrity of the RAF Board of Inquiry, or would prompt us to hold a new inquiry. The Ministry of Defence will, of course, be sending a formal response to the Public Accounts Committee's recently published 45th Report on the acceptance of the Chinook Mk2 into service, in the usual way.