§ Mr. Deerasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will institute an inquiry into the loss of the South Goodwin lightship.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI have seen the Report of the Inquiry carried out by the Corporation of Trinity House and I do not think that an investigation under the Merchant Shipping Acts would add to our knowledge as to the cause of this tragic occurrence. In their Report the Elder Brethren find that the cause of the disaster on 26th November, 1954, was the parting of the lightship's cable about midnight. The parting may have been due to one or more of three causes, exceptionally bad weather, a fault in the cable or the fouling of the cable by wreckage or other obstruction. They find also that the lightship was in proper and sound condition before the accident and that her equipment and moorings had been properly maintained and all instructions and regulations for the safety of the ship complied with. The Report makes a number of recommendations designed to reinforce the measures already current for the safety of lightships and then-crews. I am placing a copy in the Library.