§ Mr. SITCHasked the President of the Board of Trade whether any provision exists temporarily releasing railway companies from the obligation to restrict the mechanism used for railway passenger carriage doors to only that of an automatic locking character; if so, when he intends, if at all, to reimpose the said restriction; and whether he will be prepared to examine a new invention of an automatic-locking type believed to be an improvement on that hitherto used for the purpose?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThere is not, and there has not been in the past, any restriction imposed by the Board of Trade in regard to locking arrangements for railway carriage doors. The Board of Trade are advised that in the event of fire or collision automatic locking arrangements may be liable to serious objection, but their inspecting officers of railways are always willing to examine new devices for increasing the safety of rail way working.