The Scottish Government will wait until after the accident report is completed into the Shetland Super Puma disaster before making a decision on holding a public inquiry, Holyrood has heard.
Despite calls from politicians for a full independent inquiry into the accident to restore confidence among North Sea workers, finance secretary John Swinney said the ‘correct approach’ would be to wait for the findings from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau.
“There is a set of steps that have to be taken properly and fully to address the circumstances of this incident,” he told MSPs at Holyrood.
“There has to be an investigation of this particular incident, properly and fully, by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and that has to report. And as a consequence of that, it is incumbent – because this is what the law says – that the Civil Aviation Authority has to consider and apply any relevant changes to the safety regime as a consequence of the investigation carried out by the AAIB.
“The Government maintains the correct approach is to wait for the sequence of investigations to be undertaken before we come to any conclusion about the need for a wider inquiry.”
Confidence among oil and gas workers is “so low” following the latest Super Puma crash that such an inquiry is needed, Mr Gray said.
Because many of the issues raised by such an inquiry are reserved to Westminster, the UK Government would also need to agree to this, Mr Swinney also said.
“We will consider any further inquiries that are required once the conclusions of the AAIB investigation are to hand.”
Four workers were killed after the Super Puma ditched off the coast of Shetland two weeks ago. In April 2009 the same Super Puma model went down north-east of Peterhead on its return from a platform, killing all 14 passengers and two crew on board.
Labour finance and employment spokesman Iain Gray said an inquiry would be the only way to restore confidence in helicopters among the workforce was an inquiry similar to that carried out in the wake of Piper Alpha.
“It is vital to restore confidence in helicopter transport for the sake of the industry but, above all, for the sake of the workforce and their families,” he said.
“However, this is the fifth incident in recent times when helicopters have ditched, with 20 lives lost in two of those accidents.
“Whatever the conclusions of the air accident investigation regarding the cause of the August 23 ditching, the truth is there are wider questions now being asked to which the workforce will need answers to their strongest satisfaction if confidence is to be regained. Indeed, confidence is now so low that an industry review will not likely be able to restore it.
“Only a wide-ranging, comprehensive and independent inquiry, like Lord Cullen’s, will be able to do that, whatever the cause of the latest incident turns out to be.”
But north east Conservative MSP Alex Johnson said caution by the government was the right approach.
“I believe he is correct in saying calls for a public inquiry are premature,” he said.