§ Mr. Harry Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Defence if there has been any recent accident involving a Poseidon missile at the Holy Loch submarine base.
§ Mr. PattieOn 2 November this year there was a minor incident at the Holy Loch submarine base in which an American missile being handled by a crane within its storage facility aboard the submarine tender USS "Holland" began to descend at a faster than normal rate due to a mechanical malfunction in the crane. Standard procedures were successfully carried out and the missile's descent was halted. At no time did the missile "free fall". No one was injured, nor was anyone in danger. There was never any possibiltity of explosion.