Mike Hancock News
Mike Hancock demands answers over nuclear sub collision
Mike Hancock, MP who is also a member of the defence select committee has today demanded answers from the Defence Secretary after it was revealed that a British Submarine, The Vanguard and the French Submarine, Le Triomphant were involved in a collision in the Atlantic. He is asking that the Secretary of State makes a statement to the House of Commons when it returns next week.
Mike Hancock said: “While I appreciate that there are sensitive defence issues involved here, it is important that this is subject to appropriate Parliamentary scrutiny. It is fairly unbelievable that this has happened in the first place but we now need to know that lessons have been learnt. We need to know for everyone’s sakes that everything possible is now done to ensure that there is not a repeat of the incident. There are obviously very serious issues has to how some of the most sophisticated naval vessels in the seas today can collide in this way. I have written today to the Defence Secretary asking that he makes a statement to the House of Commons when Parliament returns next week. We should also look at how the Defence Select Committee can look into the situation.”
Rt Hon John Hutton, MP
Secretary of State for Defence
Ministry of Defence
Floor 5
Ministry of Defence
Whitehall
LONDON SW1A 2HB
OUR REF: MA/VANGUARD
16 February 2009
Dear Secretary of State
As you will be aware that there is a report today that there was a collision earlier in the month between a Royal Navy nuclear submarine, HMS Vanguard and the French submarine, Le Triomphant. Obviously this is potentially very serious indeed and the news report is that HMS Vanguard had to be towed back to its base and I hope that the Royal Navy, the Ministry of Defence and yourself are taking urgent steps to learn what went wrong here so that a similar incident is not repeated.
I am writing to you today to ask you to make a statement to Parliament when it returns. I appreciate that there are sensitive defence issues involved here. However it seems to me that it is important that Parliament does learn what steps are been taken to learn the lessons from this incident – especially given that it seems that neither submarine spotted each other despite been equipped with sonar. It is of course important that we know that lessons are being learnt from this failure.
I also hope that you and the appropriate naval officers in charge of submarine operations will come to the Defence Select Committee so that it can look into the incident – if necessary in camera and I hope this can facilitated between the chairman of the committee and the Ministry of Defence.
Best wishes
Yours sincerely
MIKE HANCOCK CBE MP
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