QUESTIONS will be asked at tomorrow’s sitting of Tynwald about what government intends to do about the wreck of the Solway Harvester which remains berthed in Douglas harbour.

Minister for Infrastructure Phil Gawne MHK will face the questions from Onchan MHK Peter Karran who has asked about government intentions for the scallop dredger on previous occasions.

The Solway Harvester, registered in Dumfries and Galloway, sank off the Manx coast in January 2000 with the loss of all seven crew, including two 17 year olds and three members of the same family.

A manslaughter trial against the boat’s owner - Richard Gidney - collapsed in 2005 when the judge ruled there was no case to answer.

The Solway Harvester was an automated scallop dredger. It is an unusual type of vessel with sections along the sides which rotate out and upwards to deposit the catch on the deck.

However, a Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the sinking in 2003 found that there were maintenance issues - especially a flood alarm that did not work and a missing hatch cover.

According to the investigation, the boat sank because the fish room became flooded, making the vessel unstable. It is thought to have sunk very quickly as the bodies of all seven crew members were found trapped inside the vessel.

Further court cases have since been pursued by the families of the crew, without conclusion. Meanwhile, the rusting boat has remained tied up in Douglas harbour ever since it was recovered from the seabed in a £1 million operation funded by the Manx government.

Peter Karran’s question for tomorrow’s sitting of Tynwald will seek an answer from government on its future intentions for the Solway Harvester and whether the vessel will be scrapped, or moved to somewhere less prominent, out of public view.