Mull of Kintyre Review

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Excerpts

Wednesday 13th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

I think that the families have shown calmness, dignity, great strength and great courage. I hope they feel today that all of that has been vindicated.

[Ms Margaret Ritchie (South Down) (SDLP)]

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. I sympathise with and convey my condolences to the 29 families who lost loved ones on 2 June 1994. That was some three months before the first IRA ceasefire. Will the Secretary of State undertake to write to all the families to convey the information in today’s report, which has been accepted by himself and the Government? Will he also indicate why the 1992 inquiry into the effectiveness of Chinooks was not taken into consideration?

[Dr Fox]

As I said, all documents were made available to the inquiry by Lord Philip and his team. They were able to take into account anything that they wanted. The documents were all made available to them, and they subsequently had a look at the document to which the hon. Lady refers. I will certainly ensure that all the families of the deceased get not only a full copy of the report but a copy of what has been said in the House today, which I am sure they will find extremely reassuring.