§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government will take steps this year to prevent the recurrence of accidents, many of them fatal, to children's excursions, such as occurred last year on the London, Tilbury and Southend and the Great Eastern Railways?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI have been asked to reply to this question. As I explained to the hon. Member in answer to a question put by him last year, I think those who are in charge of children's excursions by rail ought to arrange that some person old enough to keep the children out of mischief should be put in each compartment. I am now informed that the Great Eastern Railway Company have issued a circular suggesting a due distribution of the adults of each party. I think that the accidents to which the hon. Member particularly refers arose from children opening the carriage doors by the handles inside, and I understand that the Great Eastern Company will, as far as possible, avoid the use of carriages fitted with such handles in children's excursions. In these circumstances, I do not see what further steps can be taken to secure the safety of the children.
§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSONWill the right hon. Gentleman communicate with the London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway Company to see if they have done the same as the Great Eastern Railway Company, as the excursion season is now commencing, and children frequently go out in thousands from the East End in the excursion trains of that Company?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI will see what can be done in the matter.