§ 36. Mr. Bennasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why the report by the Italian Government on the Hermes air crash off Sicily in August, 1952, is not to be published.
§ Mr. ProfumoUnited Kingdom accident regulations require that anyone who is likely to be blamed or criticised shall be given an opportunity of producing evidence and cross-examining witnesses. Under Italian procedure this opportunity was not given in relation to certain criticisms in the report. For this reason my right hon. Friend has decided it would be unfair to those concerned to publish the Report.