§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the inquiry into the derailment of a train carrying nuclear waste at Harwich on 8 January; and when its report will be published. [33906]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThis incident occurred at approximately 17.50 hours on 8 January 1998, at Harwich Parkstone Quay Yard. During shunting operations one pair of wheels of a barrier wagon, between a locomotive and three nuclear flask wagons, became derailed on hand worked points. The barrier wagon contained no nuclear materials and there were no injuries.
The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate and a summary of the incident will appear in the 1997–98 Annual Report on Railway Safety which is due for publication in December 1998.