THE MARQUESS OF GRANBY (Leicestershire, Melton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the reports in the daily papers of the death of one child and the serious injury to another at Garstang caused by 1726 persons riding bicycles; whether he is aware of the fact that the cyclists escaped, and are at present unknown; if he is aware of the frequency of serious accidents caused by reckless cyclists; and if he will consider the advisability of proposing some scheme of registration of bicycles and tricycles, such as obtains in Paris, for the purpose of assisting the identification of riders of these machines in cases similar to the Garstang one?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I am informed that the accident at Garstang to which my noble Friend refers was caused by a bicyclist accidentally running into a perambulator which contained two children. At the time their injuries were thought to be serious; but I am happy to be able to state that the doctor attending them now reports that they have both quite recovered from the effects of the accident. The cyclist did not run away, but fell off, and helped to pick up one of the children. His name is known, and he states that he shouted to the girl in charge of the children; but she seemed to let the perambulator go, and he ran into it. Such information as I have does not appear to show that the number of accidents caused by cycles is out of proportion as compared with those attributable to other vehicles. I find that, in the Metropolis, for the year 1891, out of a total of 5,637 persons injured by vehicles and horses in the streets, there were 337 cases of injuries attributable to cycles. The question of the registration and numbering of cycles has been considered by the Metropolitan Police; but it is found to be attended with great practical difficulties, and the Commissioner has formed the opinion, in which I concur, that the existing law, if vigorously enforced, is sufficient for the protection of the public.