§ 17. Mr. R. Harrisasked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement to the House, or publish a report, on the fire in an Austrian barn on 11th March, 1955, in which British National Service men lost their lives.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Antony Head)I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 14th June in reply to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Albu).
§ Mr. HarrisWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the statements which he has made so far deal chiefly with the causes of the fire, and that these are not of such great interest to the relatives of the people concerned? What is required is a public statement which corrects to some extent some of the earlier rather unfortunate Press reports and pays tribute publicly to the bravery of some of the people who took part in the rescues and also of those who died.
§ Mr. HeadI should like to take this opportunity of paying tribute to the behaviour of those who helped and particularly of all who died while attempting rescue work. I have had very detailed correspondence with various of the parents, but if my hon. Friend has in mind a statement which would be a source of satisfaction to the parents, I will certainly consider it, if he gets in touch with me.