Dear Mr Dawson,

Thank you for your enquiry about how the recommendations of the Haddon-Cave review are being progressed. This is being treated as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Haddon-Cave report into the loss of the RAF Nimrod XV230 made a number of recommendations focusing, specifically, on the aviation domain. The then Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth, accepted the majority of the recommendations in his statement to the House of Commons on 16 December 2009. Specific details on the implementation of the recommendations can be found in House of Commons library.

Principal among these actions has been the formation of the Military Aviation Authority. The Authority is also currently implementing the majority of the other recommendations that the Department accepted. More details on the MAA can be found at: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/AirSafetyandAviation/MAA/MilitaryAviationAuthoritymaa.htm.

The MOD is currently assessing the wider implications, on the rest of the Department, of the Haddon-Cave Report. However we are withholding further details under section 35 of the Act. This states:

Information held by a government department or by the Welsh Assembly Government is exempt information if it relates to—

(a) the formulation or development of government policy,

On this occasion we believe that the need to allow free and frank discussion between officials and ministers outweighs the public's right to information. This is because the assessment is ongoing and we would not wish to prejudice any future decisions.

Once the Department has decided on a course of action a public statement will be made.

If you are not satisfied with this response or you wish to complain about any aspect of the handling of your request, then you should contact me in the first instance. If informal resolution is not possible and you are still dissatisfied then you may apply for an independent internal review by contacting the Head of Corporate Information, 6th Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-mail [email address]). Please note that any request for an internal review must be made within 40 working days of the date on which the attempt to reach informal resolution has come to an end.

If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act. Please note that the Information Commissioner will not investigate your case until the MOD internal review process has been completed. Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the Commissioner's website, http://www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Allan

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (the Act).  Unless specifically permitted by the Act, any reproduction of the information, in whole or in part, requires the permission of the copyright holder. Most documents supplied by the Ministry of Defence will have been produced by government officials and will be Crown Copyright. You can find details on the arrangements for re-using Crown Copyright from the Office of Public Sector Information at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm.  Information you receive may also include third party owned information. Such information must not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without first obtaining the permission of any such third party rights holder.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm091216/debtext/91216-0004.htm#0912166

http://deposits.parliament.uk/deposited_papers.asp?year=2009&legis=Commons&x=4&y=11

Deposit DEP2009-3174