§ Mr. Leeasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents have occurred during the last two years involving vehicles conveying corrosive, dangerous or explosive substances; in how many cases the containers in which the substances were conveyed were fractured to the extent that leakage occurred; in how many such cases the accident concerned resulted in an outbreak of fire; in how many cases toxic fumes were emitted on a sufficient scale to require those attending upon the accident to wear protective breathing gear; and in how many cases the explosive hazard was of sufficient seriousness to warrant evacuation of people from nearby premises.
§ Mr. William RodgersTwo accidents involving vehicles conveying corrosive, dangerous or explosive substances by road during 1977 and 1978 were reported under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. Leakage and fire occurred in one of these accidents and fire occurred in the other.
I regret that fuller information is not at present available as statistics on accidents involving the transport of dangerous goods by road, other than those required to be reported under this Act, are not collected systematically. Much fuller reporting of such accidents would be required under the draft proposals recently published by the Health and Safety Commission.