§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report, c.412 and 414, what was the distance from the position of 55 degrees 27 minutes South, 61 degrees 25 minutes West, where the "General Belgrano" was torpedoed, to the edge of the total exclusion zone.
§ Mr. BlakerApproximately 35 nautical miles, but as my right hon. Friend explained on 13 May—[Vol. 23, c. 1030]—that zone was not relevant in this case.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 29 November, Official Report, c. 104, at what time contact with the "General Belgrano" was first made by one of Her Majesty's submarines.
§ Mr. BlakerIt would not be in the public interest to give this information.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 29 November, Official Report, c. 104, for how long the "General Belgrano" had been on a course of 280 degrees; and what was her immediately preceding course.
§ Mr. BlakerIt is not possible to say. Irrespective of the direction in which the ship may have been heading at any one time, she and her escorts represented a threat to the ships of the Task Force, in whose direction they could easily have turned at any moment.