§ 44. Mr. WESTWOODasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that further evidence has been given since the first report issued by his inspecting officer on the St. Margaret's, Edinburgh, railway disaster; if he is aware of the supplementary report; and will he order another inquiry into the accident?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI am aware that the evidence given at the inquiry into this accident has subsequently been found to be inaccurate in one respect. This point was dealt with in the supplementary report made by the inspecting officer, who, as stated in that report, does not consider that it affects the conclusions he arrived at and the recommendations he made in his original report. I see no grounds for any further inquiry.
§ Mr. WESTWOODIs it not a fact that it was the same individual who made the monstrous charge against the railwaymen who gave wrong information to the inspecting officer, and under the circumstances, seeing that the people of Scotland have now no faith in the inspecting officer, who would not visit the locus of the accident—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is putting a speech into a question.
§ Mr. WESTWOODWill the right hon. Gentleman be prepared, in view of all these facts, to institute a new inquiry so as to re-establish confidence in his inspecting officer's report?
§ Colonel ASHLEYNo, because the alleged statement on the part of one of the officials of the railway company has nothing to do with the finding of the inspecting officer. That evidence was given in the course of the inquiry, but it in no way affected the inquiry, which was to find out the cause of the accident.
§ Mr. WESTWOODIs it not a fact that if they had knowledge of the working of the block system no accident need have taken place?
Sir JOSEPH NAILIs it not the fact that the aspersion cast on this officer is absolutely without foundation?
§ Colonel ASHLEYYes. He is an old and valued officer of the Ministry. No such suggestion has ever been made before and there is no ground for it.
§ Mr. WESTWOODrose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member, in putting supplementary questions, made a statement which carried with it some imputations. It was right for a further question to be put on that point. He cannot debate the whole matter now. He has put one or two long supplementaries.
§ Mr. WESTWOODOn a point of explanation. I did not charge the inspecting officer with doing anything. I charged Major Stemp.