§ 75. Mr. ROWLANDSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, as a result of an investigation made for his Department by Major Pringle, arising out of the fatal accidents which occurred at the Crabtree Manorway level crossing, Erith, on the 29th January, 1910, and the 30th January, 1911, Major Pringle recommended that a footbridge should be erected by the South-Eastern and Chatham Railway Company, to which the local authority should contribute; whether he is aware that the local authority has been prepared to carry out its part of the recommendation and that the railway company has failed to carry out its part of the recommendation, and the footbridge has not been erected; and whether he will 1676 take action to secure the erection of the bridge so that no more lives may be lost at this crossing?
Mr. ROBERTSONI have been in frequent correspondence both with the Erith Urban District Council and the managing committee of the railway in this matter, but I regret that the Committee, although willing, as I understand, to erect a footbridge on certain conditions, have not up to the present seen their way to accept Major Pringle's recommendation as to the allocation of the expense. I am at present communicating with the Committee upon a further letter which I have just received from the urban district council on the subject.
§ Mr. ROWLANDSCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the question at issue is not the contribution which it was suggested should be made by the local authority, but whether the railway company have laid down some other conditions which would be detrimental to the interests of the locality?