As part of an ongoing inquiry into Cummins Ltd’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Cummins Accountability Project has submitted a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to five UK public bodies. These requests aim to clarify the basis on which Cummins continued engine production during national lockdowns, and whether its work was directly tied to the emergency response infrastructure.
Summary of Requests:
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
- Request 1: Records and correspondence regarding Cummins Ltd’s classification as a key or essential operation during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 – March 2021).
- Request 2: Documentation related to Cummins’ supply of engines to emergency vehicles, specifically ambulances and fire engines, during the same period.
- Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
- Request regarding the number of ambulances procured nationally during COVID-19, and whether any were fitted with Cummins engines, particularly those manufactured at the Darlington Engine Plant.
- North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NEAS)
- Request concerning vehicle procurement between 2020 and 2022, and the presence of Cummins engines within the NEAS fleet.
- Home Office
- Request seeking details of police vehicles procured during lockdown and whether any used Cummins engines.
- Department for Transport (DfT)
- Request focused on fire and rescue vehicle procurement, specifically regarding Cummins engine supply during the pandemic.
Each public authority is required to respond within 20 working days under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As of writing, the Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed receipt. Further updates will be published as responses are received or deadlines pass.
The Cummins Accountability Project will make all FOI outcomes publicly available in the interest of transparency and public accountability.
Lee Thompson
Founder