§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Christchurch of 6 July, Official Report, column 15, he will now list those formal investigations ordered under section 55 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970 which he was including, in his answer of 29 June, Official Report, column 26, as being analogous with his stated policy on non-prosecution in the case of the Herald of Free Enterprise.
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§ Mr. David MitchellIn the past 10 years there have been 11 formal investigations held under the Merchant Shipping Acts, as follows:
Vessel MFV Rotche/MFV Stroma II 1978 July 1977 MV Hero 1979 November 1977 MFV Boston Sea Ranger 1979 December 1977 MFV Do It Again 1979 January 1979 MV Kurdistan 1981 March 1979 MV Pool Fisher 1980 November 1979 MV Union Star and RNLB Solomon Browne 1983 December 1981 MV Grainville 1983 December 1981 MV European Galeway/MV Speedlink Vanguard 1983–84 December 1982 Marques 1985–86 June 1984 MV Herald of Free Enterprise 1987 March 1987 In the case of the Stroma II and Rotche, a prosecution was brought but the formal investigation was not held until after the criminal proceedings had been completed. It would riot he fair to the parties involved for me to comment on whether or not criminal offences were thought to have been committed in the remaining cases, but in none of them did the Department initiate any prosecution.