HC Deb 20 December 1973 vol 866 cc1607-11

Mr. Batsford (by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the fatal rail accident between Ealing Broadway station and West Ealing station on Wednesday evening, 19th December?

The Minister for Transport Industries (Mr. John Peyton)

I very much regret to inform the House that at 5.37 p.m. last night an 11-coach passenger train from Paddington to Oxford was derailed when travelling at speed between Ealing Broadway and West Ealing stations. Ten passengers were killed and 53 injured, eight of them seriously enough to be still detained in hospital.

The House will wish to know that I have received a message of sympathy from the Queen and Prince Philip which, at Her Majesty's request, I have passed on to the Chairman of the British Railways Board. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has also sent a message to the Chairman. I know that the House will join with me in expressing most deep sympathy with the relatives of those who were killed and with the injured.

The police, fire and ambulance services were on the scene within five minutes of the derailment. I should like to acknowledge the magnificent way in which they and the voluntary services carried out the work of rescue. It is also right to mention with gratitude the immediate help given by drivers from local depots; they have called off their non-co-operation for the time being in order to get things straight as soon as possible.

I am not able at this stage to inform the House of the cause of this tragic accident, but I understand that neither vandalism nor the recent repairs to the track at this point were any part of the cause. One of my inspecting officers went to the scene last night; the Chief Inspecting Officer will be holding a public inquiry as soon as possible.

Mr. Batsford

I should like to be associated with my right hon. Friend's expression of sympathy with the relatives of those killed or injured. I join with him in paying tribute to the wonderful work of the police under the direction of Commander Payne, and the other rescue services which acted so promptly. I pay tribute to the residents of Craven Avenue and neighbouring roads in my constituency who did such a wonderful job and gave such great assistance in the rescue.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the steel construction of the coaches and the buck-eye couplings prevented what might have been a greater loss of life? Will he give an assurance that those whose houses and gardens have been damaged as a result of the accident will receive some form of compensation?

Mr. Peyton

I should be grateful if my hon. my hon. Friend would give me some particulars regarding his last point. I am sure that the House will note what he has said with warm agreement and approval. It is hard to exaggerate the prompt way in which the voluntary services, the police and railwaymen of all grades took action to relieve suffering as soon as possible.

Mr. Mulley

I associate my right hon. and hon. Friends with the right hon. Gentleman's expression of deep sympathy with the relatives of those who were killed or injured. I place on record the Opposition's acknowledgment of the work of the public services and the volunteers who turned up promptly and efficiently. We acknowledge the action of the many railwaymen concerned. Will the right hon. Gentleman indicate what process of inquiry will follow? Will there be a public inquiry? Will the report be published? Can the right hon. Gentleman give us an indication of the approximate timetable of those events? Further, will he confirm that there is no connection between the accident and the railway-men's industrial dispute?

Mr. Peyton

I gladly give the right hon. Gentleman the assurance which he seeks. There is no connection between the present non co-operation on the part of ASLEF and the accident. The inquiry will be held in public as soon as possible. A report will be published.

Mr. Woodhouse

On behalf of a number of my constituents who were on the fatal train, may I thank my right hon. Friend for his expression of sympathy and join him in thanking the rescue services, which played such a magnificent part last night? May I also thank my right hon. Friend for the assurance that he has just given to the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley), which otherwise I would have asked him to give, that there can be no possible ground for associating last night's catastrophe in any way, directly or indirectly, with the consequences of the current industrial action?

Mr. Peyton

I am sure that all those concerned will note with appreciation what my hon. Friend said.

Mr. Molloy

May I associate myself with the remarks of the Minister, the hon. Member for Ealing, South (Mr. Bats-ford) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) on the way in which the police and the ambulance service responded so superbly to this terrible accident?

May I inform the House that very late last night and in the early hours of this morning ordinary people came to the scene in an orderly manner, offering assistance and even offering to take victims of the accident to their homes in Reading? Councillors and aldermen meeting in the Ealing Town Hall abandoned the meeting and, with the deputy town clerk, charwomen and porters from the town hall knuckled to and made a remarkable contribution. It is just that sort of action that has made this country great.

When the inquiry is under way, will the right hon. Gentlemen ensure that there is full discussion? A grievous situation like this seems to bring out the best in the British people. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that we need to find other means than disasters to bring out this superb expression of humanity towards each other?

Mr. Peyton

I agree wholeheartedly with the last part of the hon. Gentleman's remarks. On this occasion there has been a wonderful display of kindness and compassion by everyone concerned. I also share his reflection that it takes an agonising disaster like this to make people behave towards each other with humanity.

Dr. Vaughan

I, too, should like to be associated with the sympathies that the House sends to the relatives and to the people who have been injured I thank the Minister for his statement. I understand that the 10 people who were killed and the majority of those who were injured come from my constituency or the neighbouring constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Astor). I hope that the Minister will be able to come back to the House with information about the inquiry as soon as possible after Christmas when the House resumes. Lastly, may I add my tribute to the way in which the accident services functioned? The speed with which they coped with the situation was magnificent.

Mr. Peyton

I appreciate what my hon. Friend said and assure him and the House that there will be no unnecessary or avoidable delay in bringing the inquiry to a conclusion.

Mr. Bidwell

May I join the Minister, the hon. Member for Ealing, South (Mr. Batsford) and my right hon. and hon. Friends in praising the maginficent public response of all those who were concerned in coping with the accident—the railway workers, the public services and the people who ran out from their houses to do what they could?

It is the rarity of railway accidents that causes so much attention to be given by the House to one that occurs, and makes headline news. As the inquiry will be the usual and traditionally exhaustive one, will the right hon. Gentleman expedite it as much as possible, because there has been a local history of vandalism on this part of the line, as a result of which there is apprehension and rumour?

Will the right hon. Gentleman's Department pay attention to the aspect that theories are proffered by the Press on the cause of the accident? Although we in the House are restrained from making deductions about the cause of the accident until we have evaluated the facts, the Press are free to make deductions.

Mr. Peyton

As I said in my original Answer, there is absolutely no reason to attribute this accident to vandalism, and I am happy to repeat that assurance. I am glad that the hon. Gentleman said that this accident attracts great attention because of its rarity. One would wish on such an occasion to have in mind, as the hon. Gentleman obviously has, the extraordinarily good safety record of British Railways.