MoD fails to act on Nimrod recommendations

Only days before the conclusions of a Coroners Inquest into the loss of a Nimrod aircraft in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed that not all safety recommendations have been fully complied with for the ageing aircraft.

Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne MP has written to Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson MP, who represents the Nimrod home base of RAF Kinloss, outlining the status of the recommendations which were made by defence firm QinetiQ in the wake of the loss of Nimrod XV230 with the loss of 14 people aboard.

Mr Browne reveals that, of 30 safety recommendations, made in the QinetiQ report entitled "Nimrod Fuel System Safety Review" of October 2007: "21 have been accepted and are being implemented; 3 are being considered for implementation and a further 6 are on hold as they relate to Air-to Air Refuelling".

Under the MOD’s own rules, for an aircraft to be safe the risk must have been ‘reduced to a level that is ALARP (as low as is reasonably practicable) and broadly acceptable or tolerable’.

According to the QinetiQ report only half this condition was in place – while the risk associated with the aircraft was tolerable, "the level of risk present to the fuel system is not ALARP".

The RAF had to take action on the recommendations "before it can be considered that the equipment risks are ALARP". The Secretary of State has now confirmed that the recommendations have not been fully complied with.

Speaking about the MOD confirmation Angus Robertson MP said:

"It is very unsettling that not all safety recommendations have been complied with fully on the Nimrod fleet.

"The Secretary of State has assured MPs that Nimrods are safe, however as he makes clear in his letter not all the necessary changes have been made.

"It must be concluded from Des Browne’s letter that current risks to the Nimrod aircraft are not ‘as low as is reasonably practicable’, and this is not acceptable."