Dunblane Secret
Documents Contain Letters by Tory and Labour Ministers
Neil Mackay - The Sunday Herald, News, 2 March 2003
LETTERS between Labour and Tory ministers and correspondence relating to Thomas
Hamilton's alleged involvement with Freemasonry are part of a batch of more than
100 documents about the Dunblane mass murder which have been sealed from public
sight for 100 years.
The documents include a letter connected to Hamilton, which was sent by George
Robertson, currently head of Nato, to Michael Forsyth, who was then Secretary of
State for Scotland.
Until now it was thought that a 100-year public secrecy order had only been
placed on one police report into Hamilton which allegedly named high-profile
politicians and legal figures. However, a Sunday Herald investigation has
uncovered that 106 documents, which were submitted to the Dunblane inquiry in
1996, were also placed under the 100-year rule.
The Scottish Executive has claimed the 100-year secrecy order was placed on the
Central Police report, which was drafted in 1991 five years before the murders,
to protect the identities of children named in the report. Hamilton had
allegedly abused a number of children prior to his 1996 gun attack on Dunblane
primary school in which 16 primary one children and a teacher died before
Hamilton turned his gun on himself.
However, only a handful of the documents, which the Sunday Herald has discovered
to be also subject to the 100-year rule, relate to children or name alleged
abuse victims.
The most intriguing document is listed as: 'Copy of letter from Thomas Hamilton
to Dunblane parents regarding boys' club, and flyer advertising Dunblane Boys'
Sports Club. Both sent to Rt Hon Michael Forsyth, MP, Secretary of State for
Scotland, by George Robertson MP.' Also closed under the 100-year rule is a
'submission to Lord James Douglas Hamilton, MP, Minister of State at the
Scottish Office, concerning government evidence to the Inquiry'.
Another document relates to correspondence between the clerk of the Dunblane
inquiry, which was presided over by Lord Cullen, and a member of the public
regarding 'possible affiliations of Thomas Hamilton with Freemasonry ... and
copy letters from Thomas Hamilton'.
SNP deputy justice minister, Michael Matheson, said: 'The explanation to date
about the 100 -year rule was that it was put in place to protect the interests
of children named in the Central Police report. How can that explanation stand
when children aren't named? The 100-year rule needs to be re-examined with
respect to all documents.'
Matheson has written to the Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, asking why the 100-year
rule applies and how it can be revoked. He has so far had no response. He also
asked First Minister Jack McConnell to explain the reasons for the 100-year
order but received 'no substantial answer'. Matheson is to write to Colin Boyd a
second time, in the light of the discovery that more than 100 other documents
are also sealed, asking him to account for the decision.
A spokeswoman for the Crown Office said: 'In consultation with the Crown Office
and the Scottish Office, Lord Cullen agreed that in line with the age of some of
the individuals involved and named in the inquiry, the closure period would be
100 years. The Lord Advocate is considering issuing a redacted copy of the
productions, which would blank out identifying details of children and their
families. A decision on this has yet to be made.'
Other sealed key reports on Dunblane include:
· A 'comparative analysis of Thomas Hamilton' by Central Scotland Police
· Information about Hamilton's 'use and possession of firearms'
· Pathology reports, Hamilton's autopsy report, and analysis by Glasgow
University's forensic science lab on blood, urine and liver samples from
Hamilton's body
· Details on firearms licensing policies
· A review by Alfred Vannet, regional procurator fiscal of Grampian, Highland
and Islands, of 'reports and information in respect of Thomas Hamilton submitted
to the procurator fiscals of Dumbarton and Stirling by Strathclyde Police and
Central Police'
· A psychological report on Hamilton
· Guidance from the British Medical Association on granting firearms licences
· 'Transcript of and correspondence relating to answering-machine tape which
accidentally recorded conversation between police officers at the scene of the
Dunblane incident'
· Correspondence and witness statements 'relating to allegations of sexual abuse
made against Hamilton'
See Blair's Protection of Elite Paedophile Rings Spells the End For His Career
www.propagandamatrix.com/blair_protection.html