HL Deb 23 April 1963 vol 248 cc1097-9

2.36 p.m.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will institute, if they have not already done so, an inquiry into the cause of the road accidents which resulted in the death of 87 persons over the Easter period and place the result of such inquiry before Parliament.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)

My Lords, my right honourable friend has arranged for an analysis, along the lines of those made over the last two years of the Christmas casualties, to be made of the Easter casualties, when the final figures for deaths and seriously injured are available. The figures so far published are provisional and cover only deaths. The final figures will, I hope, show whether there are any special features which should be taken into account at future holiday week-ends. The results of this analysis will be published in the usual way.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

My Lords, will the noble Lord accept my thanks for the helpful nature of his reply? Am I to understand him to say that the analysis is going to be made not only of the deaths but of the seriously injured as well?

LORD CHESHAM

Yes, my Lords.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

Would the noble Lord be good enough to tell the House when he anticipates that the figures, the final analysis, will be ready for Parliament to consider?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, the most helpful thing I can say is that I anticipate that the figures will be available in May. The exact date I cannot yet say. It occurs to me that it might be useful if I were to offer to give the House the conclusions as and when they are published.

LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTH

Will the noble Lord accept my thanks, and also my assurance that his suggestion will be most helpful? If I can assist in any way by putting down an appropriate Question at the appropriate time, I will do so.

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, I am most grateful.

EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGH

My Lords, will the noble Lord tell me whether his Department now propose to give further consideration to whether they are going to have a policy which diverts further traffic from the diminishing railway system on to the roads and makes them even more dangerous than they were before?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, while interesting, I do not know that that really arises from the Question before us.