§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the operation by the defence forces following anonymous calls that bombs had been planted on the production platforms of North Sea oil rigs in August 1975.
§ Mr. William RodgersAt 11.27 on 25th August the Maritime Headquarters at Pitreavie received a signal from Her Majesty's Coastguard about an anonymous telephone call alleging that bombs had been placed below the water line on gas platforms in the North Sea. This was followed by similar reports from elsewhere.
HMS "Reward" was ordered to the area and a Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team deployed by helicopter in time to begin clearance work at the earliest possible opportunity which was at slack water at 1930. The telephone calls are judged to have been a hoax but all the platforms concerned were searched and reported clear of explosives by the morning of 26th August.