§ COLONEL HAMBRO (Dorset, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if the brakes in use on the London and North-Western Railway are of a description that are liable to become useless when there are a few degrees of frost; if the Railway Company is expected to have sufficient hand-brake 124 power to each train to stop it if the patent brake fails to act; and if a similar accident to the one which happened at Carlisle on Tuesday morning happened about 18 months ago at the same place?
§ * MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)May I also ask whether it is not one of the requirements of the Board of Trade in regard to the use of continuous brakes that they must be instantaneous in their action; and whether any Order has as yet been made to the London and North-Western Railway Company by the Board of Trade under the Railway Regulation Act, 1889, as to brakes, and, if so, what are the terms of such Order?
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD of TRADE (Sir M. HICKS Beach,) Bristol, W.No Order has yet been made, but the subject is under consideration. In regard to the question of my hon. Friend. I have to say that I do not think it is desirable for me to make any statement with regard to the question raised by the hon. and gallant Member until I have received the Report of the inquiry which I have directed to be made by one of the inspecting officers of the Board of Trade into all the circumstances attending the lamentable accident which happened at Carlisle last Tuesday.
§ In reply to a farther question by Colonel HAMBRO,
§ * SIR M. HICKS BEACHI feel I cannot be too careful in not saying anything that may prejudge the inquiry which is about to be held.