§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about British Rail's accident record over the last six months (a) nationally and (b) in the London Midland Region.
§ Mr. David MitchellSection 6 of the Regulations of Railways Act 1871 and orders made under it—currently the Railways (Notice of Accident) Order 1986, SI 1986 No. 2187—requires statutory railway authorities to report specified accidents and dangerous occurrences to the Department. In the case of British Rail these are made as individual reports or on monthly bulk returns depending on the nature and severity of the accident or incident. In each case the region of BR is identified. All the reports and returns are collated, analysed by the Railway Inspectorate and any adverse trends are thereby identified. The accident statistics, together with an analysis and commentary, are included in the Railway Inspectorate's annual report, published for each calendar year by HMSO. Based on the reports received so far, the accident record during the past six months, both of BR and of London Midland region, appears relatively satisfactory and in line with the improved overall safety performance achieved in recent years.