Major WHITEasked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he has received representations from the Great Crosby Urban District Council with regard to the inadequacy of the exits from the carriages, and the lack of non-inflammable materials in the construction of such carriages, on the electric services of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; and what action, if any, he proposes to take in the interest of the safety of passengers travelling on these lines?
§ Mr. J. M. ROBERTSONThe council have written to the Board of Trade on the subject. The question of the means of exit from the carriages to which the hon. Member refers was carefully considered by an inspecting officer of railways, who inquired into an accident at Marsh Lane Junction in 1909, and he expressed the view that the adoption of end doors in the carriages of this railway was not attended with extra risk to passengers in case of fire. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the report on the accident, which includes also some recommendations by the electrical adviser of the Board of Trade with regard to the construction of the carriages, and these recommendations have, I understand, been adopted by the railway company.