Mr. LAMBERTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport whether the recommendations of the Board of Trade, made after the Ais Gill disaster in 1913 (Cd. 7153, Sec- 308W tion VI., Clause 2 (d), pages 20 and 21), that all timber or other material utilised in the bodies of all coaching stock on main line or express services should be rendered non-inflammable, and repeated after the Gretna disaster in 1915 (Cd. 8114, page 29), and again in 1916 after the St. Bede's Junction disaster (Reports to the Board of Trade—Railway Accidents) are still in force; and whether he will bring these recommendations again to the notice of the railway companies so that no new rolling stock may be constructed without effect being given thereto?
§ Colonel ASHLEYA recommendation to the effect stated was, with other recommendations, made in the Report of the Officer of the Board of Trade who inquired into the Ais Gill accident in 1913, and these recommendations were referred to in the reports on the other two accidents mentioned in the question. I find, however, that in subsequent correspondence with the companies concerned, the Board of Trade did not press that this particular recommendation should be rigidly complied with. The present attitude of the Ministry of Transport on the subject is indicated in the answer which I gave on the 6th March 'to a question asked by the hon. and learned Member for the East Grin-stead Division (Mr. Cautley), of which I am sending the right hon. Member a copy.