§ 12. Mr. Piratinasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 14 years have been drowned each year from 1920 to 1946 at each of the following stairs leading to the River Thames in Stepney: Alderman Stairs, Hermitage Stairs, Union Stairs, Wapping Old Stairs, King Henry Stairs, Wapping Dock, New Canal, King James Stairs and Pelican Stairs, respectively.
§ Mr. EdeFor the years 1920 to 1942 the police have no records from which the information asked for could be extracted without an undue expenditure of time and labour. For the period 1943 to 1946, there are records of one child under 14 having been drowned at Union Stairs in 1944, one at Pelican Stairs in 1945 and one at Alderman Stairs in 1946.
§ Mr. PiratinWhile thanking the Minister for that information and regretting the absence of information for 20 years, may I ask whether he will say who is responsible for ensuring that these accidents do not occur and that children do not find such easy access to the river?