§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessments he has made and plans to make in evaluating the comparative safety of transporting ammunition by road or by rail.
§ Mr. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research and research projects have been carried out or commissioned by his Department for each of the last five years, relating to the transportation of hazardous and inflammable goods by road; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ChopeThe Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on dangerous substances subcommittee is studying the major hazards aspects of the transport of such substances. The report of that work, which includes a quantified risk assessment of the transport of specific substances including explosives by road and by rail, is due next year.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport why a train carrying spent nuclear fuel flasks was taken 287W into sidings at Bletchley on the morning of 23 November; what risks were posed by the halting of the train to the people of Bletchley and Milton Keynes; what emergency procedures were set in action; and how many such nuclear trains have been halted non-routinely in sidings over the past year.
§ Mr. FreemanI understand from British Rail that a Temple Mills-Crewe nuclear flask train was stopped when one of its vehicles activated a hot axle-box detector at the approach to Bletchley. It was taken forward into a loop line where it was examined, but no fault found. The fire brigade was in attendance and the police were on stand-by while the examination was taking place. There was no risk to local residents. There is no requirement for such incidents, in which neither an accident has occurred nor any fault has been found, to be reported to Her Majesty's railways inspectorate.