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Defence contracts of the former Albright and Wilson UK company
Mr Carroll made this Freedom of Information request to Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence did not have the information requested.
From: Mr Carroll
21 July 2010
Dear Ministry of Defence,
I am writing to make an open government request for all the
information to which I am entitled under the freedom of information
act.
In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query
as specifically as possible.
If however this request is too wide or too unclear, I would be
grateful if you could contact me as I understand that under the
act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.
I am requesting whether the MOD holds information concerning
defence supply contracts awarded to the former Albright and Wilson
UK chemical company. I specify the dates of contracts I am seeking
as follows
*1914-1920
*1938-1948
*Post World War Two contracts concerning the supply of white
phosphorus for munitions filling and the steel industry.
Could you also provide information as to the quantities of any
chemicals ordered during these periods and their intended use?
I understand that under the act, I should be entitled to a response
within 20 working days.
I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received
this request. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future
via this email address.
Yours faithfully,
Mr Carroll
From: Mr Carroll
25 August 2010
Dear Ministry of Defence,
Ref freedom of information request 'Defence contracts of the former
Albright and Wilson UK company'
I have not received a response to my freedom of information
request. Could you please therefore acknowledge which section of
the MOD is dealing with this request and a time scale on when it
may be answered? My request read
"I am requesting whether the MOD holds information concerning
defence supply contracts awarded to the former Albright and Wilson
UK chemical company. I specify the dates of contracts I am seeking
as follows
*1914-1920
*1938-1948
*Post World War Two contracts concerning the supply of white
phosphorus for munitions filling and the steel industry.
Could you also provide information as to the quantities of any
chemicals ordered during these periods and their intended use?"
Yours faithfully,
Mr Carroll
From: CIO-FOI (MULTIUSER)
Ministry of Defence
1 September 2010
Dear Mr Caroll,
Thank you for your email regarding your request for information. In
response to your complaint I have investigated the status of your
request.
My investigation has revealed that your request for information is with
the relevant subject matter expert. Your complaint has been passed to
them and they have been asked to contact you as soon as possible with
either a response or an explanation for the delay.
The reference number for your request is 21-07-2010-154332-002
If after having received a substantive response you remain dissatisfied,
MOD would be happy to begin a formal internal review at that stage.
Yours sincerely,
MOD FOI Helpdesk
show quoted sections
From: DES SEC-Par1 (Dudman, Tony Mr)
Ministry of Defence
3 September 2010
Dear Mr Carroll
Please find attached a letter in reply to your e-mail enquiry of 21 July
2010. I apologise for the delay in responding to your request whilst we
undertook extensive research of our records.
Kind regards
Tony Dudman
DES Sec-Par1
( MIL 9352 34371
( STD 0117 91 34371
* [email address]
Abbey Wood Maple 0A #2043
John Smith left an annotation ( 6 September 2010)
Of course MOD do not have any papers relating to this. Anything older than 30 years will either have been destroyed or sent to the National Archives in Kew.
Get yourself down to Kew if you really want to find anything out going back to the first half of the 20th century.
Mr Carroll left an annotation (23 September 2010)
I'm sure the many Ox-bridge Mr Hyphon-Pythons who worked for the MOD in the early part of 2Oth century who got cushy jobs in defence contractor companies after wars they took no real part in, did take and destroy their secrets with them.
But workers lower down the chain in this particular company tell me that there were women from the civil service based permanently at Olbury well into the latter part of the 20th century, and in the last 30 years who oversaw the production of items for Government ministries which came under the title "muintions" , these being "practice bombs" and "marine flares". So no I don't believe the MOD's reply.
Things to do with this request
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Mr Carroll left an annotation ( 3 September 2010)
From an agreement made between his Majesty's minister of munitions and "contractors" Albright and Wilson signed 25th May 1919.
"Whereas the minister has large stocks of phosphorus consisiting both of phosphorus in bulk and of phosphorus packed in containers or filled into shells or other ammunition of which stocks part is now lying at the contractors works at Oldbury and at Heathtown, Wolverhampton......
The minister agrees to sell and the contractors agree to purchase all phosphorus belonging to H.M Government lying at the contractors works on 31st December 1918 (which stocks are agreed at 780,725 lbs) and all surplus stocks of phosphorus not required for Government purposes which the minister shall deliver to the contractors as from ist January 1919 until 31st December 1919 whether in bulk or filled into containers or ammunition Provided that the contractors shall not be bound to purchase hereunder a greater quantity in the aggregate than 1,000 tons of phosphorus."
The agreement also describes the disposal of unwanted ballistic rubbish by Albright and Wilson for the British Government, something which no doubt also took place after World War Two, and no doubt subsequent conflicts where toxic white phosphorus garbage was generated.
If anyone has any evidence to the contrary then prove me wrong, cause the MOD seem to make a habit of not knowing very much about toxic chemical weapon rubbish which they ordered from their Quaker friends at this company over the years.Not difficult to find WMD in this country at all.
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