Cardiff Institute For The Blind And The Defence Ministry

EDM number 445 in 1991-92, proposed by Alun Michael on 19/12/1991.

That this House welcomes the news that the letter notifying the Cardiff Institute for the Blind that their contract for providing rattan cane fenders for the Royal Navy would be ended on 13th January has been identified as a 'mistake'; but notes that the letter recevied by the Institute from the Ministry of Defence on 17th December is quite clear and specific in spelling out the ending of that contract; regrets that the Ministry failed to contact the Institute to apologise for the error in time to avoid another night of worry and heartache for those who believed that their jobs were about to be chopped, though they did find time to contact the media; and demands that the Secretary of State for Defence institute an immediate inquiry to establish how such a 'mistake' could be made, to establish what changes in procedure are required to ensure that there can be no repeat of this incident, and to satisfy this House that a similar 'mistake' could not be made in regard to contracts for the supply of frigates, aircraft or other essential equipment required by the defence services.

This motion has been signed by a total of 7 MPs.