§ Mr. Mitchisonasked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he is aware of an incident, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Kettering, in which first-aid facilities were not readily available at St. Pancras station; and whether he will refer this incident and the general question of the availability of first-aid services to the appropriate transport users' consultative committee for its consideration;
(2) whether he is satisfied that adequate first-aid facilities are provided at railway stations; and what general directions he has given, or proposes to give, to the British Transport Commission regarding this matter.
§ Mr. MarplesThe provision of first-aid facilities at railway stations is a matter of railway management for which British Transport Commission is responsible. The Commission tells me that at least one first-aid box is provided at every railway station, that first-aid train-126W ing for railway staff, though voluntary, is systematically organised throughout British Railways, and that over 20,000 railway staff pass examinations in first-aid each year. I have not hitherto received any representations about the first-aid assistance available at railway stations and do not consider that I should be justified in giving any general directions to the Commission on this subject.
As regards the incident at St. Pancras station, I understand that there was some delay in dealing with an injury to one of the hon. Member's constituents, but that a railway policeman gave first-aid and offered to call an ambulance. The Commission is considering whether it is possible to provide a more suitable first-aid post at this station than the police office.
I do not think that there are sufficient grounds for me to refer this incident to the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for London or the general question of first-aid facilities to the Central Transport Consultative Committee. Users of railway services are entitled to make representations direct to the consultative committees.