HC Deb 01 February 2002 vol 379 cc584-5W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the legislation which allows the prosecution of(a) train operating companies, (b) train drivers and (c) Railtrack in relation to passing signals at danger. [31196]

Mr. Jamieson

The Health and Safety law allowing prosecution following a signal passed at danger (SPAD) is as follows:

manslaughter, and drivers for being under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the(a) date, (b) location and (c) level of penalty of all incidents of signals passed at danger that have resulted in prosecution of (i) train operating companies and Railtrack in each year since 1995–96. [31200]

Mr. Jamieson

Great Western Train Co Ltd. was fined £1.5 million at the Old Bailey on 27 July 1999 following a collision due to a signal passed at danger at Southall on 19 September 1997.

There have been no prosecutions of Railtrack.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2001,Official Report, column 586W, on rail safety, whether the supervision of rail signal boxes will be monitored by the Health and Safety Executive. [31589]

Mr. Jamieson

The supervision of rail signal boxes is a matter for Railtrack.

Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps(a) his Department and (b) the Health and Safety Executive have taken to reduce the total number of signals passed at danger within categories three to eight in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [31199]

Mr. Jamieson

Details of actions being taken by the rail industry to reduce the total number of SPADs, including serious SPADs, are reported in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) monthly SPAD reports which are held in the House of Commons Library and are published on the HSE website http://www.house.gov.uk/railway/spad/index.htm.

On 23 January HSE also published three reports which set out the steps being taken to reduce SPADs:Report on the assessment of Railtrack's response to an Improvement Notice covering the "Top 22" signals passed most often at danger (for the period 1990–98); Report on the assessment of Railtrack's management of multi-SPAD signals; and HMRI's inspection of driver management in train operating companies.