§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether questions from hon. Members on the sinking of the General Belgrano and the whereabouts of HMS Conqueror were answered without reference to the navigator's log book of HMS Conqueror.
§ Mr. HeseltineI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 13 November.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Defence if the missing log of HMS Conqueror contains (a) the time at which the General Belgrano was first sighted, (b) any information relating to the course of the General Belgrano after it was sighted, (c) the time at which the General Belgrano was attacked by HMS Conqueror, (d) information relating to the damage sustained to the General Belgrano from the attack, (e) the times of signals to and from Northwood and (f) information relating to the contents of signals to and from Northwood.
§ Mr. HeseltineI refer the hon. Member to the specimen copy of a control room log which I have placed in the Library. He will see from that that it is unlikely that the missing control room log from HMS Conqueror contains any of the information listed. This is recorded in other documents; primarily the captain's account.
§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any information contained in the missing log of HMS Conqueror is not contained in the captain's log.
§ Mr. HeseltineYes. As can be seen from the uncompleted log in the Library, the control room log contains routine information and instrument readings at hourly intervals which would not be recorded in the captain's account.