§ 59. Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for Defence why the parents of artificer apprentice J. T. Phillips were not informed by his Department of the date of the adjourned inquest on their son.
§ Mr. FoleyThe date of the adjourned inquest was conveyed to the parents by the boy's commanding officer.
§ Mr. MurrayIs my hon. Friend aware that a great deal of concern and worry was caused to the parents of this boy through lack of information from the Navy Department? Will he see that the regulations governing this matter are tightened up?
§ Mr. FoleyIt is normal practice for the commanding officer to write to the parents. In this instance the father was written to on the 13th stating that there would be an adjourned inquest on the 19th. He replied on the 16th saying that he would not be able to attend.
§ 60. Mr. Murrayasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make public the Report of the Naval Board of Inquiry on the accident at Cawsand Bay on 9th April, 1967.
§ Mr. MurrayIs my hon. Friend aware that the parents of this 16-year old boy were left completely in the dark about how this accident occurred? Is he further aware that these parents were unfortunate enough to read in The Timeslast week a mention of Russian ships in connection with the accident? Would it not be to everybody's benefit—these parents and other youngsters—if the full facts were known?
§ Mr. FoleyI want to make it quite clear that there was no security aspect whatsoever in respect of this unfortunate incident. My Department wrote to my hon. Friend on 26th May indicating that as soon as we had the fullest information of the inquiry we would pass it on to the parents concerned.