§ SIR M. HICKS BEACH) (Bristol, W.I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the Inspecting Officer of the Board of Trade, in his Report on a collision which occurred last autumn near Auchnashellach, on the Highland Railway, made the following observations: that it is satisfactory to know that very shortly, when the Order issued by the Board of Trade, under "The Regulation of Railways Act, 1889," regarding the use of continuous brakes, comes fully into operation upon the Highland Railway, it will be obligatory to have an automatic continuous brake in operation upon all the passenger vehicles of mixed trains, so that a recur- 1882 rence of an accident of this description, which upon many parts of the system might be very serious, will be well-nigh impossible; and whether the Board of Trade Order is now in operation and has been obeyed; and, if not, what stops he proposes to take to enforce the Order in the interest of the public safety?
§ MR. MUNDELLAYes, Sir; my attention has been called to the Report in question, and the accident to which it refers adds one more to the many instances in which the necessity for a continuous automatic brake has been practically proved. The Order of the Board of Trade made by the right hon. Gentleman comes into force on the 31st December next, and, in the event of a non-compliance with its requirements, the statutory stops will be taken to enforce it.