Chequers and Admiralty House

Message to Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary

To: gus.odonnell@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Subject: Chequers and Admiralty House
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007


Mr O'Donnell

Could you please inform what amount of monthly rent will be paid by Mr & Mrs Blair for the use of Chequers?

What amount of monthly rent will be paid by Mr Prescott for the use of the Admiralty House apartment?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

Robert Zoellick

Message to Suzanne Folsom, Head of the World Bank Department of Institutional Integrity (INT)

To: sfolsom@worldbank.org
Subject: Robert Zoellick
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:40:07 +0200


Hello Suzanne

How do you feel about the choice of Robert Zoellick as a potential World Bank President?

In 1998 he was a signatory to the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) letter to Bill Clinton, advocating war against Iraq. James Wolfowitz, current World Bank head, was also a signatory to this letter. As a pro-war neo-con he is no different from Wolfowitz.

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm

He was a share-holder and consultant to Enron, the energy company which went
bankrupt in 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/business/2002/enron/21c.stm

He was a key figure in the American WTO case against the EU which sought to impose GM crops and GM food on Europe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3025217.stm

As these three brief examples demonstrate he is certainly not the person to restore trust in the World Bank.

The solution to the current leadership crisis is an open, transparent and democratic selection process which emphasises the candidate's merits, rather than political connections, as the criteria for the job.

Look forward to hearing from you with your comments.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

HPV vaccine

To: caroline.flint@doh.gsi.gov.uk
Subject: News report
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:58:53 +0200


Ms Flint

I have just read a BBC news report in which the DoH advocates the use of a vaccine for HPV.

Could you please provide details of the ingredients of this vaccine? In particular, does it contain mercury, aluminium or animal-derived ingredients?

Could you please also provide details of the safety testing which has already been carried out on the vaccine?

Which company would be producing the vaccine used by the NHS?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

National Audit Office report into Al-Yamamah arms deal

Message to the Head of the National Audit Office (NAO), John Bourne, about the Al Yamamah Arms deal between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia

To: john.bourn@nao.gsi.gov.uk
Subject: NAO report
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:11:01 +0200


Mr Bourn

Could you please provide me with a copy of the NAO report into the Al Yamamah arms deal?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

Reply from National Audit Office, whose motto is "Helping the nation spend wisely"

To: "Marcus Williamson"
Subject: NAO report into Al-Yamamah arms deal
From: Tara-Lee.PLATT@nao.gsi.gov.uk
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:37:54 +0100
Cc: FOI.Requests@nao.gsi.gov.uk

Dear Mr Williamson,

Thank you for your request for information. I have been unexpectedly away for the office so have been unable to respond until today. In future, please send requests for information to foi@nao.gsi.gov.uk to ensure your requests get dealt with promptly.

Our position on the release of the NAO report into the Al-Yamamah arms deal has not changed since your previous request, FOI-101. For your convenience I have attached a copy of our response to that request.

Yours Sincerely,

Tara-Lee Platt


Tara-Lee Platt
Information Officer

National Audit Office
BM45
157-197 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria
London
SW1W 9SP

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7798 7824
Email: tara-lee.platt@nao.gsi.gov.uk

Fax: +44 (0)20 7828 5401

Web: http://www.nao.org.uk/

Helping the nation spend wisely

Gordon Brown spins the same old security yarn

To: gordon.brown@hm-treasury.gov.uk
Subject: News article
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:23:08 +0200


Mr Brown

What is your reaction to this news article?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2611723.ece

Leading article: Mr Brown spins the same old security yarn

Published: 04 June 2007

How dispiriting a start is this? Even before he has moved into Number 10, Gordon Brown is already playing the national security card. Not only this, but he is using the same well-worn techniques as his predecessor to ensure that he gets his message out on his terms and no one else's. In a series of Sunday newspaper reports - attributed, of course, to well-placed sources or none - he let it be known that he yields to no one, including the present incumbent, in his determination to crack down on terrorism.

(more...)

Nuclear Waste

Message to Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, about Nuclear Waste

To: alistair.darling@dti.gsi.gov.uk
Subject: Nuclear waste
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Wed, 23 May 2007


Mr Darling

In this newspaper article:

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2565135.ece

I asked you:

"Why do you and this Government continue to advocate the use of nuclear power when the nuclear waste issue has still not been resolved?"

and you replied:

"There are quite proper concerns about waste. It's not a new problem and there has been significant progress on this. We now have technical solutions for waste disposal that could accommodate all types from existing and new nuclear power stations. The forthcoming consultation will give people the opportunity to discuss the ethical issues."

Could you please inform me in detail what are the technical solutions for nuclear waste disposal?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson

Bears slaughtered to provide hats for British soldiers

Message to Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence, about the use of bear skin in soldiers' hats

To: defenceminister@mod.uk
Subject: Bear slaughter
From: Marcus Williamson
Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2006


Mr Browne

I have read this article:

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article1089675.ece


It seems that black bears may be killed in order to provide the fur for the Guards' ceremonial headgear.

Could you please provide an assurance that this killing will be prevented and that an alternative material will be used instead?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks & regards
Marcus Williamson


Reply from Ministry of Defence

To: Marcus Williamson
Subject: Correspondence addressed to the Secretary of State for Defence
From: "Dando, Annette Miss"
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 10:24:26 -0000

Mr Williamson

Thank you for your email to the Secretary of State for Defence expressing concern about the use of real bear fur for the ceremonial caps used by the Guards Regiments. I am replying as this issue falls within my area of responsibility.

Regrettably efforts to find a faux fur alternative to real fur have so far proved unsuccessful for a number of reasons. These have included an inability of the faux fur to retain shape when wet, the shedding of pile during normal wear and grooming and an increase in weight due to excessive water retention. More recently, a sample was rejected because the "volume of the fibres was insufficient to allow the fabric to retain its shape" and it "lacked sufficient density between the layers of material to prevent the lower layers showing through". The material also had a particularly glossy appearance. The Department is continuing to work with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to try and find a suitable faux material.

Over the past four years, no pelts have had to be purchased, in no small part due to the success of our policy to refurbish, rather than replace, wherever possible. Previously pelts were purchased from fur traders operating under the jurisdiction of the Canadian authorities. To our knowledge no bears have been 'killed to order' to provide pelts to meet the Guards' requirements.

The Department remains committed to the examination, evaluation and, if found suitable, trial of any sample provided by PETA, or any other supplier. It is recognised that the criteria that any trial material has to meet are exacting. With the importance of the ceremonial duties undertaken by the Guards, the Department is not prepared to compromise on standards or risk soldiers being ridiculed in public because the quality of some items of their uniform falls below the expected
standard.

Please be assured that all parties are taking this matter very seriously.

I hope you find this helpful.

Yours sincerely

Annette Dando
On behalf of
General Officer Commanding
London District

Annette Dando
HR Business Partner
Ministry of Defence
HQ London District
Horse Guards
Whitehall, London
SW1A 2AX