§ Dr. John Dunwoodyasked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will issue a general direction to British Railways to install closed-circuit television linking all automatic half-barrier level crossings with the neatest signal box;
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that automatic half-barrier level crossings will not be installed in the future on A class roads;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that, in future, automatic half-barrier level crossings will not be installed in built-up areas;
(4) if he will take steps to ensure that, in future, automatic half-barrier level crossings will not be installed on railway lines where trains travel at more than 40 miles per hour;
(5) if he will institute a nation-wide campaign to instruct all road users as to the operation of existing automatic half-harrier level crossings;
(6) if he will ensure that road signs at the approaches to automatic half-barrier level crossings are standardised nationally and readily visible.
§ Mr. MarshThe Court of Inquiry into the Hixon level crossing accident and into the general safety of automatic half-barrier protection resumed its public hearings on 29th April. The court has before it a Ministry paper on long-term policy for level crossings, dealing with all aspects of automatic operation, including forms of protection, road signs, selection of sites, and publicity. I cannot anticipate the findings of the court.