§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the log book of HMS Starling (F66) for the period shortly following the time when Starling was subjected to radiation trials in the Atlantic in 1953 has been withdrawn by his Department from the Public Records Office; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ButlerThe ship's log of HMS Starling for the month of August 1953 was withdrawn from the Public Record Office in order that it might be examined within the Ministry of Defence for the purposes of replying to the52W hon. Member's prior correspondence on the subject of alleged radiation trials. From this examination of this document it would appear that there are no grounds whatsoever for believing that such trials took place as alleged in the hon. Member's letter. The log has now been returned to the Public Record Office; for the hon. Member's convenience in retrieving it, the reference number is ADM53/136740.