MAJOR ACCIDENT WARNING SYSTEM

HL Deb 01 April 1976 vol 369 cc1288-9

3.17 p.m.

Lord SANDYS

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 are satisfied with the method of issuing a red warning in the case of a major accident.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, it is normally the responsibility of the ambulance service to alert appropriate hospitals that a major accident has occurred. The detailed arrangements for taking this action are for local agreement; we are satisfied with the present procedure.

Lord SANDYS

My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask whether he is aware that on numerous occasions which I need not list, such as Flixborough, Staines, and others, where a major accident or incident has taken place, a period of time has often elapsed between the moment when a warning could have been given, and when it was given, as unfortunately happened last Saturday in the tragedy at Olympia, 12 minutes elapsed?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, there is some dispute with regard to the length of the time involved. My information is that the ambulance service was informed at 16.40 hours that there had been an incident at Olympia. Four ambulances were immediately sent, the first arriving within five minutes of the service having been informed. I do not want to go through the whole of the circumstances, except to say that the first intimation given to the ambulance service was that there had been an incident in which one lady was suffering from some injury. That is how it was handled. I do not know who is responsible in our public buildings and large centres for giving the initial warning, but an inquiry is being held into this matter. It is usual for an inquiry to be held automatically when there has been a major incident or disaster, and so this is a routine matter. When that inquiry has been held, we should be in a far better position to assess the situation.

Baroness HYLTON-FOSTER

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I understand that the ambulances left very promptly bat were held up because of the volume of traffic?

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Baroness.