§ MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will state how many fatal and how many non-fatal accidents have occurred up to the present time through persons coming in contact with the live rail on electric railways; and whether the Board of Trade is taking any steps for the prevention of such accidents.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR, Leeds, Central)On the Lancashire and Yorkshire and North Eastern Railways nine fatal and twenty-two non-fatal accidents have occurred through contact with the electrically charged rail, including eight fatal and eight non-fatal accidents to trespassers, and one fatal and eleven non-fatal accidents to railway servants. No accidents from contact with the rail in question have been reported to the Board of Trade on any of the other lines which have recently been equipped for the use of electrical power in place of steam, and no such fatal accident has, it is believed, occurred on any of the tube railways. The number of non-fatal accidents of this description on tube railways, some of which have been opened now for a considerable period, cannot be given, as 574 no separate record of such accidents has been kept, but the number, if any, must be very small. Recommendations as to the steps to be taken to prevent the occurrence of accidents of this character have been made from time to time to the railway companies and have been adopted by them; and the matter is one that receives unremitting consideration from the inspecting officers of the Department in the execution of their duties.
§ MR JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe)Has there been any refusal on the part of any railway company to comply with any suggestion made by the Board of Trade.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURNo, Sir, I do not think so.