HC Deb 27 January 1954 vol 522 cc1749-50
56. Mr. Erroll

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps he is taking to reduce in future the total of 26,213 persons killed and injured on British Railways during 1951.

The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd)

I am afraid the answer is rather long. Responsibility for the safety of railway operation rests with the British Transport Commission. The Railway Inspecting Officers of my Ministry, who have certain statutory functions in connection with railway safety, are in constant touch with the Commission on measures to maintain and improve the high standards which the Railways set themselves in these matters. Full information will be found in the Annual Reports of the Chief Inspecting Officer on Railway Accidents. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of these Reports for 1951 and 1952.

The actual figures for casualties in 1951 on British Railways and London Transport railways are 307 killed and 26,213 injured. Of the 307 fatalities, about one sixth, or 55 persons in all, including 43 passengers, were killed in accidents to trains. The remaining 252 fatalities included 61 passengers who fell from trains in motion or entered or alighted from moving trains or met with other accidents on railway premises, and 168 railway servants who were killed in the course of their work about the lines.

Of the 26,213 injuries, 23,788, or 91 per cent., were slight cases, only a very few of which required detention in hospital.

Mr. Erroll

As my right hon. Friend has attempted to break down this very high total by categorising the types of casualties, will he be so good as to do the same thing for road casualty figures so as to avoid needlessly alarming the public?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Certainly I will do what I can in that field, but I thought, in view of the particular way in which this Question was framed—and I am not suggesting it was framed to give a wrong impression—that I should break up the figure to avoid the danger of misunderstanding. If we had last year been spared the Harrow disaster only one passenger would have been killed on British Railways last year.

Mr. Manuel

Does the Minister not agree that the vast majority of Members of this House on both sides are concerned about the prevention of accidents and safeguarding life in all forms of transport in Britain and not only on British Railways? Would he advise his hon. Friend not to put down Questions with malice aforethought, as he has done on this occasion?