§ Mr. GoodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries were incurred as a result of railway incidents in each year since 1973. [140005]
Passengers Rail stuff Others Trespass plus suicide Fatalities Serious injuries 1973 42 42 13 213 310 652 1974 26 38 14 276 354 811 1975 69 46 12 301 428 780 1976 30 46 21 299 396 721 1977 30 34 20 320 404 757 1978 47 45 22 345 459 762 1979 52 43 12 314 421 803 1980 26 32 11 360 429 807 1981 39 27 10 369 445 319 1982 20 27 10 296 353 251 1983 29 28 12 358 427 254 1984 39 25 12 339 415 259 1985 33 25 16 318 392 322 1986 32 16 24 325 397 372 1987 68 16 20 317 421 434 1988 69 16 12 334 431 596 1989 33 18 18 293 362 569 1990 37 22 19 308 386 550 19911 39 22 20 363 444 495 1992–93 18 11 10 264 303 536 1993–94 17 8 16 262 303 484 1994–95 17 9 16 264 306 485 1995–96 11 5 12 246 274 471 1996–97 17 2 6 252 277 310 1997–98 26 3 19 265 313 351 1998–99 20 4 15 247 286 376 1999–2000 47 5 13 274 339 340 2000–01 21 8 10 300 339 300 2001–02 10 5 17 275 307 351 2002–03 23 7 20 256 308 349 1 15 months from 1 January 1991 to 31 March 1992.
§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Network Rail on the implications for rail safety of the recent reduction in the number of managers with safety responsibilities in the organisation. [140123]
§ Mr. McNultyEmployee management at Network Rail is an operational matter for the company. Safety is the top priority in the network's operation and maintenance and all decisions taken by Network Rail are subject to meeting the company's Safety Case.
§ John ThursoTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the recommendations on rail safety made by Lord Cullen and Professor Uff being worked on by the industry which(a) have not been completed to the original timetable specified, indicating the expected date of implementation and (b) are within their specified deadline, listing by when they should be completed, and whether they are expected to meet this deadline in each case.[139740]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Southall, Ladbroke Grove and Train Protection public inquiries made a total of 295 recommendations. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that 216 recommendations have been completed; 42 are either still within their specified deadline or a deadline was not specified; and 37 have not been completed to the original timetable specified.
The HSE advise that there is a range of reasons for action continuing on 37 of the recommendations beyond the dates put forward in the public inquiry reports, including the complexity of interrelated issues,
1452W
§ Mr. McNultyInformation on the number of fatalities and serious injuries since 1973 provided by the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate is set out in the following table:
the need for legislative change, or because industry is taking a broader look than the recommendations strictly require. HSE and industry have discussed and agreed alternative timescales.
Details of each of the recommendations still to be completed, including action taken and to be taken, are given in the Health and Safety Commission's progress report—'HSC report on overall progress as of April 2003 on the remaining recommendations from the Rail Public Inquiries'—published in August 2003, which is available in the House Libraries. A summary of progress is given in the following table:
Public inquiry Total number of recommendations Completed Continuing Southall 93 92 1 Train Protection 59 18 121 Ladbroke Grovel 1 89 68 21 Ladbroke Grove 2 74 38 136 Total 295 216 79 1 There are 11 recommendations where action holder reports completion, but where HSE is not yet able to endorse this view.
§ John ThursoTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the final reports into the rail crashes at(a) Hatfield and (b) Potters Bar to be published. [139741]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Health and Safety Executive have published comprehensive reports on both the Hatfield and Potters Bar crashes, which have included technical 1453W findings, safety critical information and recommendations. The final reports on both these crashes, which will concentrate on action taken by the industry to implement the recommendations from earlier reports, can only be published following the completion of any legal action arising from the investigations.
§ John ThursoTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the British Transport Police to conclude their investigations into the rail crash at Potters Bar. [139742]
§ Mr. McNultyThe British Transport Police have advised me that they submitted a substantial report on the Potters Bar accident to the Crime Prosecution Service (CPS) in August 2003 and that they now await CPS advice on the matter.
§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many derailments there were in each month of the last year. [138827]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate reports that there were 67 derailments on all railways during the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003, which is reduction of 24 per cent. compared to the 2001–02 figure of 88. Of the 67, 42 occurred on Network Rail, four on London Underground, and 21 on tramways, metros or heritage railways. Two derailments resulted in fatalities and four resulted in minor injuries. A breakdown of the 67 derailments by month appears in the following table:
Month Network Rail LUL Other Total April 2002 4 — 1 5 May 4 — 2 6 June 4 — 2 6 July 2 — 5 7 August 1 1 5 7 September 5 — 1 6 October 2 — 1 3 November 7 — 2 9 December 1 — 1 2 January 2 2 — 4 February 5 — — 5 March 5 1 1 7 Total 42 4 21 67