§ Wing-Commander HulbertOn behalf of my hon. Friend the senior Member for Stockport (Sir A. Gridley) and myself, I desire to ask the Minister of Transport the following Question, of which I have given him Private Notice. Can he make any statement regarding the railway accident which occurred at Stockport Station on the night of 30th November?
§ The Minister of Transport (Mr. Barnes)Yes, Sir. I am informed that this accident occurred in dense fog. A passenger train from Manchester to Derby, which was stationary, was run into by a following passenger train from Manchester to Buxton. Two coaches at the rear of the standing train were telescoped, and I regret to inform the hon. Member that, so far as my information goes, four passengers in this train were killed and 27 were injured. There were no casualties in the following train. I have appointed an Inspecting Officer to hold an Inquiry, and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing sympathy with the relatives of those who were killed and with the injured.
§ Wing - Commander HulbertWhile thanking the Minister for his reply and associating the people of Stockport with 2005 his expressions of sympathy, may I ask him if he will direct his inspecting officer to pay particular attention to the fog signalling apparatus in use on that particular section?
§ Mr. BarnesYes, Sir. The purpose of such inquiries is to elicit any defects which have contributed to the accident.