Clarkston gas explosion of 21 October 1971

That this House recalls, fifty years on, the dreadful events of 21 October 1971, when Scotland’s worst peace-time explosion ripped through the Clarkston Toll shopping precinct, quickly reducing the shops to rubble; recognises the devastating impact on the local community, with 22 people losing their lives and more than 100 injured, and the grief this caused for so many families across Clarkston, East Renfrewshire and beyond; further recognises that the majority of the victims were women and that minimal compensation was paid to victims or the families of the deceased; expresses concern that the cause of the explosion, which was likened to the detonation of a 300 lb bomb, has never been identified despite a fatal accident inquiry lasting 19 days, and that no one was held accountable for this tragedy, despite the fact that in the days before the explosion shop workers had raised concerns about the smell of gas, and, despite no source being found, the all-clear was given to open the shops on the morning of 21 October; records its appreciation of the work of the emergency services, with firefighters and police officers, aided by volunteers, working to recover people from the debris, while doctors, nurses and a fleet of 22 ambulances battled to save as many as they could; commends those in the local community who have worked to commemorate the victims of this dreadful event, the losses from which are felt to this day; and notes that the community in Clarkston will never forget.