§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the findings of Her Majesty's railway inspectorate, prior to 21 July, on the safety740W characteristics of single-line junctions between double-line railway routes, stating the operational advantages seen in such arrangements.
§ Mr. FreemanThe findings of Her Majesty's railway inspectorate on the safety characteristics of single line junctions between double line railway routes were set out in the published report of the chief inspecting officer's inquiry into the collision at Bellgrove junction on 6 March 1989. He said: "We consider that single lead junctions are acceptable in principle on safety grounds and we do not accept that improvements in the efficiency of operation and maintenance are intrinsically at variance with the maintenance of an adequate standard of safety". A copy of the report is in the Library of the House.