§ Mr. George Gardinerasked the Paymaster General what role was played by the Health and Safety Executive in making safe a container of ethyl mercaptan parked off the M23 at Reigate on 11 July; and what time elapsed between the executive being alerted to the danger and its attendance on the scene.
§ Mr. TrippierResponsibility for making safe the container lay primarily with the transport operator, with the police and fire services dealing with the immediate emergency arrangements needed. HSE inspectors attended at the request of the police. They gave technical assistnace to the police investigation into the circumstances which led to the incident. Inspectors were on site in under three hours.