§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Prime Minister, further to her replies dated 11 July on the shooting down of the Iranian Airbus,Official Report, column 4, whether Royal Navy ships in the vicinity had indirect information on the Iranian Airbus's flight path; and whether the equipment of the Royal Navy is such as to preclude a similar error.
§ The Prime MinisterHMS Beaver heard warnings to an unidentified aircraft on the international civil distress frequency at the time of the incident. The equipment and operating procedures of Royal Navy ships are designed to minimise the risk of misidentifications.