Falklands War: HMS “Sheffield”

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Drayson)
My right honourable friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Adam Ingram) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I am today publishing on the MoD's website a copy of the findings of the board of inquiry (BoI) report into the loss of HMS “Sheffield” during the Falklands conflict (www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FreedomofInfolmation/). A copy of this paper has also been placed in the Library of the House. The published documents include the board's terms of reference, the then Commander-in-Chief Fleet’s advice on the report and the Admiralty Board’s response.

The publication of these papers follows a review commissioned in light of continuing parliamentary and public interest in the findings of the report into the ship’s loss. The board's terms of reference, the then Commander-in-Chief Fleet's advice on the report and the Admiralty Board's response are also being published. Some information has been redacted to ensure the department's compliance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 98). Certain other information has also been withheld as its provision would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of the Armed Forces.

Other papers relating to the BoI report, including the post-attack narrative and analysis, and the captain's report on the incident will be published in two further phases before the end of the year. However, we will be withholding from publication copies of the witness statements that were taken by the board, as we believe that the disclosure of this personal data would be unfair to the individuals concerned and would be contrary to DPA 98.