Captain CRAIGasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether his attention has been drawn to the accident on Saturday, 8th February, 1428W to a little girl riding a pony in Rotten Row caused by a hoop with which a child was playing on a path adjoining the Row rolling under the railing of the Row and fouling the feet of the pony; whether the prevalent and increasing practice of children rolling hoops alongside and across the riding ground in Rotten Row has the approval of the Commissioners as the authority responsible for the management of Hyde Park; and, if not, whether the Commissioners will at once exercise the powers conferred on them by the Parks Regulation Act, 1872, which according to the preamble was passed to secure the public from molestation and annoyance while enjoying the park, and make a rule of the park restricting the rolling of hoops to such parts of the park as can with safety be used for that purpose and of prohibiting the dangerous practice on any of the paths adjoining Rotten Row?
§ Mr. GIBBSasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether his attention has been drawn to the danger which is occasioned to riders in Rotten Row by children trundling hoops across and in the vicinity of the Row; and whether the Commissioner of Works will issue a rule of the park, under the Parks Regulation Act, 1872, dealing with this danger?
§ Mr. WEDGWOOD BENNThe attention of the First Commissioner has been drawn to the accident in question. While deeply regretting that it should have occurred, he does not consider that drastic action on the lines suggested by the hon. Member is called for. The police will be instructed to keep careful surveillance over the use of hoops where risk of similar accidents is likely to occur.