HC Deb 17 January 1997 vol 288 cc399-400W
Mrs. Dunwoody

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the most recent fire involving a train being used as part of the new emergency procedures in the channel tunnel. [11515]

Mr. Watts

On 19 December 1996, smoke was detected in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit of an empty tourist shuttle train on stand-by at a platform on the Folkestone terminal. Kent fire brigade attended and extinguished a small electrical fire.

A second tourist shuttle was immediately prepared for use as a replacement stand-by train.