HC Deb 13 March 1989 vol 149 cc1-2
1. Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the full establishment of railway inspectors; and how many fully trained inspectors are currently in post.

The Minister for Public Transport (Mr. Michael Portillo)

The full complement of railway inspectors is 24. At present, 22 are in post, of whom six with relevant experience have been recently recruited and are undergoing short-term induction courses. With the continuing recruitment campaign, I expect the railway inspectorate to be at full strength by the middle of the year.

Mr. Taylor

Does the Minister accept that there is concern that the railway inspectorate is not at full strength? Is he convinced that when it is it will be adequate, and what does he think about the observations made in The Observer at the weekend that, beginning in October, British Rail intends to abolish local health and safety representatives?

Mr. Portillo

That abolition does not relate to the statutory committees, which will continue in being. The chief inspecting officer of railways has been reviewing staff resources available to him, especially in the light of the Fennell report, which recommended the use of the Health of Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to enforce measures for passenger safety. I am expecting his report to be presented to the Secretary of State shortly.

Mr. Prescott

For how long has the railway inspectorate been under establishment? Was the inspectorate consulted about the removal of the one-way leg from the diamond crossing involved in the Glasgow rail tragedy, which was a carbon copy of another collision two years previously? Were the Department and the inspectorate consulted as clearly economic reasons overrode safety priorities?

Mr. Portillo

The first reference that I found made to these crossing was in 1958; this sort of crossing has been installed since that time. The railway inspectorate believes that simpler crossings may be safer because less can go wrong and they are more reliable. It is content with that sort of installation. The railway inspectorate has been under strength for some time, but we have eight inspectors doing traditional railway inspectorate work—approving new works and accident inquiries—compared with five in 1979; and 14 dealing with matters relating to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act compared with five in 1975.