§ *MR. MADDISON (Burnley)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that over 5,000 employees, mainly engaged in coupling and uncoupling vehicles and other shunting operations, in private sidings connected with factories, workshops, and docks have been killed or injured since 1897; if he is aware that no separate Returns of these accidents are made to Parliament; and whether he will cause a tabulated Return of such accidents to be made in future, as is done by the Board of Trade for public railways, showing each year how many employees are killed and injured in coupling and uncoupling, and other like headings, when engaged in shunting operations.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELThe figures of accidents caused by locomotives or other moving railway plant on premises under the Factory Act are not available for the period named in the Question, but the total of such accidents in the records of the Factory Department for the five years 1902 to 1906, is 2,802. The Secretary of State would explain, however, that this figure does not represent the full number of these accidents on premises under the Factory 434 Act. Accidents caused by the movement of vehicles on public lines in docks, railway locomotive sheds and railway warehouses are also reportable to the Board of Trade, and by arrangement with that Department any notices of such accidents received by the Factory Inspectors are referred to and dealt with by that Department, and do not appear on the records of the Factory Department. The Secretary of State will be glad to bear in mind the suggestion of my hon. friend as to a more detailed classification of accidents on private lines and sidings being given in the annual Report, but in the limited time available for the preparation of that Report it is not possible with the staff at the disposal of the Chief Inspector for the purpose to carry the analysis of particular classes of accidents into great detail and all that can be done is from time to time to select a particular class for special treatment. A detailed list of locomotive accidents in 1900 will be found in the Report for that year.
§ *MR. MADDISONsuggested that the right hon. Gentleman should follow the tables given in the Board of Trade returns of railway accidents.