§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the date of the the loss of the Hull trawler "Ian Fleming" whether a statutory preliminary inquiry was held and concluded; when his Department decided to hold a formal inquiry; when the inquiry will be held; and what was the reason for the delay.
§ Mr. ShoreThe "Ian Fleming" foundered on 25th December 1973. Following a preliminary inquiry, a decision to hold a formal investigation was announced on 14th October 1974 and the hearing opens at Hull today.
The delay was due to a decision to give priority to the inquiry into the disappearance of the MT "Gaul", in which there was a heavy loss of life. In view of the capacity of the administrative and judicial machinery this could be achieved only by fixing a later date for the "Ian Fleming" inquiry.