MINISTERS' DELAY IN GROUNDING UNSAFE NIMRODS DISGRACEFUL
March 9, 2009 12:00 AM
Commenting on today's Government statement on Nimrod aircraft, which says that none of them should fly after the end of this month unless modifications have been made, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:
"This is in effect an admission by the Government that the Nimrod fleet is not safe to fly, and has not been for years.
"It is disgraceful that it has taken so long for ministers to take action to ground unsafe aircraft which have already claimed the lives of our service personnel and are still putting others at risk.
"RAF personnel and the coroner in the Nimrod inquest have been saying for months, if not years, that these planes are not airworthy. Why has it taken so long for the Government to listen?
"It also must be asked why it is deemed safe for these aircraft to continue to fly for a moment longer, let alone another three weeks, without the necessary replacement of their hot air ducts.
"It is shameful that MoD complacency and penny-pinching has put the lives of our service men and women at risk for so long."
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