§ Mr. Ron Brownasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received recent representations seeking an inquiry into the death of Gary MacGregor; and if he will make a statement.
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Lord James Douglas-HamilitonI have received a request for an inquiry from Mr. David Martin, MEP. The circumstances of this death were fully investigated by the procurator fiscal and reported to Crown counsel, who instructed criminal proceedings against the driver of the police vehicle involved for a contravention of section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1972. All relevant available evidence concerning the accident was placed before the court in the criminal trial on 11 March 1985 when the driver was acquitted. Since the circumstances of the death have been sufficiently established in the course of the trial, Crown counsel did not consider it appropriate or necessary in the public interest to hold a fatal accident inquiry.