§ 60 and 61. Mr. HALESasked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he is aware that a large motor lorry, conveying a load of furniture, took fire on the road near Welwyn on the 11th June, and was completely destroyed together with its load; and whether, having regard to the frequency with which motor vehicles are burned on the road, he will consider the 813 suggestion that all motor vehicles should be fitted with fire extinguishers;
(2) whether his attention has been called to an accident, on the 2nd June, near Crawley, when a lorry in which four persons were travelling took fire and in which two of the passengers were burned; also, has his attention been drawn to a fire which occurred to a lorry standing in a timber-yard at Woolwich on 12th June when the driver, Fred Capon, of Eltham, in endeavouring to move the lorry, was badly burned about the arms and is now in St. Nicholas Hospital, Plumstead; and, having regard to these repeated burning accidents on the road, whether he will provide the obvious remedy and prevent a repetition of these occurrences?
§ Captain A. HUDSONWhile my right hon. Friend cannot accept the contention that the presence of a fire extinguisher would in all cases minimise the seriousness of any accident which might occur, he is referring the question of the compulsory carrying of fire extinguishers to the Transport Advisory Council for a report.
§ Mr. HALESMay I ask the following conundrum, namely, why does the fitting of a taximeter to a private car make the fitting of a fire extinguisher compulsory?