§ 3. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete his inquiries into the circumstances in which Private Davidson, a soldier from Fife, met his death several months ago.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownI have now completed my inquiries and I shall be writing to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. HamiltonThat answer is acceptable so far as it goes, but is my hon. Friend aware that it is highly unsatisfactory that the parents of this dead boy should have had to suffer such anxiety for several months, despite my repeated representations to him, personally, in this House and in correspondence? Can my hon. Friend assure me that his reply will contain adequate reasons for this inordinate delay?
§ Mr. BrownI give my hon. Friend that assurance. I am sorry that it has taken so long to give him a full report on the situation, but he must understand that following the manslaughter trial there was an appeal, and we could not do anything until that had been concluded. It was also necessary to examine fully the evidence, given at the trial, concerning Private Davidson's unfortunate death.