§ Q4. Mr. Martin Bell (Tatton)What plans he has to visit the Tatton constituency.
§ The Prime MinisterI have no immediate plans to do so.
§ Mr. BellMy constituents will be deeply disappointed that the Prime Minister is unable to experience the spirit of Tatton for himself. I know that they would be interested in his answer to a question that I know concerns them, having recently had an Adjournment debate on the issue, namely the verdict of gross negligence on the two pilots of the RAF Chinook that crashed in the Mull of Kintyre six years ago. Will the Prime Minister give that personal attention as a question of natural justice?
§ The Prime MinisterI am happy to give the issue my personal attention. I know that, with other hon. Members, the hon. Gentleman has run a significant campaign for some time on this tragic incident and that he secured an Adjournment debate on it. The RAF investigation into the crash was painstaking and exhaustive. All possible causes were examined, but no evidence of technical malfunctioning was found. The RAF board of inquiry established that the Chinook was flying too fast and too low in bad weather.
We have consistently said that we are ready to consider new evidence, but without new evidence it is difficult for us to justify reopening the inquiry. However, I will of course look into the matter personally as a result of the hon. Gentleman's question, and I will be in touch with him about it.