The Celtic League have urged the MOD to put better systems in place to ensure the safety of young people who join cadet forces. The comment comes following concerns expressed by the Sheriff who enquired into the death of a young person in the Hebrides in August 2007.

The League say that no lessons appear to have been learned, in relation to the provision of suitable safety equipment, from earlier tragedies. The League cite a case they raised with the MOD when three air cadets died at Padarn Lake in North Wales in August 1993.

The League also intend to raise the issue of the involvement of young people in military cadets forces and the attendant safety concerns with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The full text of the letter to the Secretary of State for Defence is set out below:

The Secretary of State for Defence Bob Ainsworth MP Ministry of Defence Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB United Kingdom

Dear Minister,

I note that the Sheriff (Alasdair MacFadyen in the case of Kaylee McIntosh) who conducted an inquest into the death of a young Scottish Army cadet,one of a party engaged in a trainig course in the Hebrides,was critical (amongst other points) about the lack of proper safety equipment available to the young people who were involved in this course.

I find it quite astonishing that the Ministry of Defence has learned nothing from earlier tragedies involving young people in the cadet forces.

The Celtic League are reminded of a similar tragedy in the eary 1990s when three air cadets were killed in an accident at Padarn Lake Wales when a Wessex helicopter crashed. We corresponded with the MOD abiout the issue at the time. In the Padarn Lake accident an abscence of suitable protective equipment was identified (by your own internal enquiry) as a factor.

It appears however that the significance of this shortcoming was not grasped and unfortunately another tragedy which might have been avoided has ocurred.

The MOD have a duty of care to all who serve and work for the organisation. However I feel sure you will agree that this duty of care has an even greater priotity when it involves children involved in the cadet forces.

I do hope that this time lessons will be learned and proper safety systems which are secure and robust are put in place in the future.

Yours sincerely,

J B Moffatt

Link to a summary of the Sheriffs report here:

(voir le site)

Also MODs own summary of the Padarn Lake accident here:

(voir le site)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

25/07/09

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