HC Deb 25 March 1897 vol 47 cc1317-8
MR. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether, in the case of either of the inquests recently held at Bristol on the deaths of the carriage washer Niblett or the driver Little, the coroner applied to the Board of Trade under Section 8 of the Railway Regulation Act 1871, for a representative of the Board to attend as Assessor; (2) whether any coroner has in railway accidents so applied during the past five years; and, if so, in how many instances; what report, if any, was made by the coroner to the Board of Trade in the inquests on Niblett and Little; and (3) whether the Board of Trade ordinarily receives or has power to require any report to be made by a coroner to the Board in the case of railway fatalities?

MR. RITCHIE

The answer to the first paragraph of the hon. Member's Question is in the negative. In eight cases, applications have been made for the appointment of an Assessor. The coroner made returns of the two accidents referred to. This is the duty of the coroner under Section 5 of the Railway Regulation Act 1873. The returns are made to the Home Office and transmitted to the Board of Trade.

MR. CHANNING

asked whether the return made by the coroner merely gave the finding of the jury or contained all the facts of the case?

MR. RITCHIE

said he did not know as to that. He referred the hon. Member to Section 5 of the Act of 1871.