§ Mr. MACMASTERasked the Minister of Transport, in view of the assault upon Miss Florence Nightingale Shore while travelling on an express train from London to Hastings, resulting in Miss Shore's death, what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to prevent such criminal assaults upon women and children travelling alone and unprotected; whether, in the provision of new rolling stock for the railways, he will see that on each train a special carriage for women and children only, or at least one corridor carriage, for long journeys, is provided; and whether he will, until such provision 257W is made, issue such instructions to all railway officials and employees as may be necessary to prevent the opportunities for assaults upon unprotected women and children passengers.
§ Mr. NEALI am of opinion that the safety of women and children is best secured by the practice of allocating compartments on long distance trains for ladies only, a practice which was followed in the case of the train on which the deplorable outrage occurred to which my hon. Friend refers. I have already called the attention of the railway companies generally to the importance of taking steps to ensure that separate accommodation is provided, and that ladies travelling alone should, as far as possible, be made aware that it is available.