§ 33. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate has yet received the procurator fiscal's report on the recent fire at the nurses' home at Victoria hospital, Kirkcaldy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindAn interim report of this tragic fire has been received from the procurator fiscal at Kirkcaldy. However, it will be some time before the full report will be completed and submitted to my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. Every effort is being made to deal with the matter expeditiously. Until such time as the full report has been considered no statement can be made.
§ Mr. HamiltonDoes the hon. Gentleman recall that the former Solicitor-General for Scotland gave a strong indication that he was in favour of a public inquiry and that he would probably take it himself? For reasons well known to the House, the hon. and learned Gentleman is no longer in a position to do that. Will the hon. Gentleman assure us that there will be a public inquiry? If so, will the new Solicitor-General for Scotland take it, and, if not, who will?
§ Mr. RifkindAs the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, no final decision on an inquiry can be reached by the Lord Advocate until he receives the report submitted to the procurator fiscal. Having said that, I would not dissent from the general principle of what the former Solicitor-General for Scotland said.
§ Mr. Harry EwingDoes the Minister appreciate that there is grave concern in Fife about the circumstances surrounding this fire? Against that background, will he impress on his noble and learned Friend the importance of my hon. Friend's point about the need for a public inquiry—either a fatal accident inquiry or some other kind of judicial public inquiry?
§ Mr. RifkindI give the hon. Gentleman an absolute assurance that my noble and learned Friend is fully conscious of the great public concern occasioned by this fire. He will be taking factors of that type into account in coming to a decision on this issue.