§ SIR CHARLES CAYZER (Barrow-in-Furness)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the accidents caused by the falling of horses in hansom cabs, he can see his way to instruct the Commissioner of Police, before granting or 540 renewing hansom cab licences, to ascertain if a handle or some other suitable fastening can be placed on each side of the hansom by which, in the event of the horse falling, the occupant can save himself from being thrown out.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS, Kent,St. Augustine'sI am informed by the Commissioner of Police that experiments have from time to time been made with the view of securing the better protection of passengers in hansom cabs, and that every facility is afforded for the testing of appliances designed to provide greater safety or comfort in private carriages. He does not, however, consider it desirable to attempt to enforce, by mans of refusing licences, the adoption of any contrivance the advantage of which may, after all, be open to question.
§ SIR CHARLES CAYZERinquired what steps had been taken after the e trials to prevent accidents of this character.
§ * MR. AKERS DOUGLASThe Commissioner of Police is always anxious to consider the question, and to have experiments made, but even if he wished to carry out any one particular patent of any one firm it would just have to be made perfectly certain that it provides the safety generally desired.