§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss fatal accidents concerning train doors.
§ Mr. FreemanAfter I have received the report of the study now being carried out by the Health and Safety Executive.
§ Mr. John BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on what action is to be taken by the railways inspectorate following the examination of a door which revealed a fault in its slam-shut locking mechanism during an investigation into the death of a passenger who fell from the Birmingham to London InterCity train on 3 December 1990.
§ Mr. FreemanAt the coroner's inquest into this fatality at Carpenders park, an open verdict was returned. No evidence was available to show from which door, or in what circumstances, the deceased had fallen from the train. I understand that when BR examined the train later, a hinge on one door was found to be faulty, but not unsafe.
The Health and Safety Commission announced on 3 May that Her Majesty's railway inspectorate, and other specialist resources within the Health and Safety Executive, will undertake an investigation into the pattern of falls from passenger trains and whether, or the extent to which, they could be attributable to the design of doors or locks. The results of the investigation, which is now under way, will be published.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission to discuss the inquiry into fatal falls from British Rail trains.
§ Mr. FreemanMy right hon. and learned Friend has not met the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission to discuss the current investigation into train doors. He plans to meet Dr. Cullen shortly to discuss railway safety generally.