§ Mr. CAUTLEYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of 300W Transport whether, as the railway companies are about to commence construction of rolling stock upon a considerable scale, he will take steps to ensure that attention shall be paid to the various recommendations of the Ministry of Transport that all timber or other material utilised in the bodies of mainline passenger coaches should be rendered non-inflammable?
§ Colonel ASHLEYWhile a requirement to the effect stated is in force in regard to the passenger cars in use on the tube railways, this is not applicable to main-line passenger coaches, and the Ministry of Transport have ot thought it necessary to recommend that such coaches should be constructed of noninflammable material. Various recommendations have from time to time been made to the main-line companies as to the precautions which it is desirable they should take against the danger of fire, and I have no reason to doubt that the companies are fully alive to their responsibility in the matter.