Navy Command FOI Section
Navy Command Headquarters
MP 1-4, Leach Building
Whale Island
PORTSMOUTH
PO2 8BY
Telephone [MOD]: +44 (0)2392 628695
Ref: FOI2017/08308
Facsimile [MOD]:
+44 (0)2392 625279
E-mail:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xx
Mr J Stafford
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
29 September 2017
Dear Mr Stafford,
Release of Information
Thank you for your correspondence of 31 August 2017 in which you requested the following
information:
‘I am interested in an incident involving an accidental release of a Sting Ray torpedo training
round from HMS Argyll which took place in Devonport Dockyard in 2014. There is a report
about the incident in the Daily Telegraph here:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-
3A__www.telegraph.co.uk_finance_newsbysector_industry_defence_10697895_Navy-
2Dwarship-2Daccidentally-2Dfires-2Dtorpedo-2Dat-2Dnuclear-
2Ddockyard.html&d=DwICaQ&c=axaOw2qHyp7zEDNbTjpgYA&r=338_LDuXi2CRJzQpHh2t
-
w&m=muKHOdlpxlk1mrn6qDEuDedT5PEBi1BqkSFtC4wjbVI&s=2_wPMaRdVaBkov0NKHP
0yX0ic1VCtmTMwwbXN1IXH6A&e=
Please can you tell me what the cause of the accidental firing was, and provide a copy of the
reports of the investigation and any inquiry into the incident.’
Your enquiry has been considered to be a request for information in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act 2000.
A search for the information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence and I can
confirm that some information in scope of your request is held. A copy of the Ships Investigation
Learning Account investigating the inadvertent discharge of a Training Variant Torpedo (TVT) from
HMS Argyll whilst alongside HM Naval Base Devonport is included with this letter which explains the
cause of the incident and remedial action taken after.
For the information that the Department is able to provide, please be advised that some of the
information requested falls within the scope of the following qualified exemption - Section
s40(Personal Data).
The personal information of individuals has been withheld under section 40(2) of the FOI Act
(personal data).
Section 40(2) applies to personal data relating to third parties. The release of personal information
relating to other individuals would contravene the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998, namely
Principle 1 – personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and not unless certain specified
conditions are met, and Principle 2 – personal data shall be obtained and processed only for
specified and lawful purposes and not further processed in a manner incompatible with the
purposes. In this instance, data has been provided for internal purposes and not with the
expectation that it would be made public.
If you have any queries regarding the content of this letter, please contact this office in the first
instance
If you wish to complain about the handling of your request, or the content of this response, you can
request an independent internal review by contacting the Information Rights Compliance team,
Ground Floor, MOD Main Building, Whitehall, SW1A 2HB (e-ma
il xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xx). Please
note that any request for an internal review should be made within 40 working days of the date of
this response.
If you remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you may raise your complaint directly to the
Information Commissioner under the provisions of Section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.
Please note that the Information Commissioner will not normally investigate your case until the MOD
internal review process has been completed. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Further details of the role and powers of the Information Commissioner can be found on the
Commissioner's website at
https://ico.org.uk/. Yours sincerely
Navy Command Secretariat – FOI Section