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Rail Crash (Severn Tunnel)
3.31 pm
Sir John Cope (Northavon) (by private notice) : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement on the rail crash in the Severn Tunnel on Saturday last.
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Malcolm Rifkind) : At about 10.35 on Saturday morning 7 December, the 07.00 hrs sprinter diesel train from Portsmouth to Cardiff collided with the rear of the 08.30 hrs InterCity 125 train from London, Paddington to Cardiff inside the Severn tunnel, about one and a quarter miles from the Newport end.
I understand from British Rail that the impact was less severe than it might have been, since both trains were on the move at the time, but some 90 passengers and the driver of the Portsmouth train were injured. Eight people, including the driver, were still in hospital this morning.
The House will wish to join me in expressing our sympathy with those who were injured and our hopes for their speedy recovery. I also pay tribute to the professionalism of the emergency services, who naturally faced difficulties in getting to the injured and in getting them out of the tunnel for treatment. The response by all involved was magnificent. [ Hon. Members-- : "Hear, hear."] British Rail has accepted responsibility for the accident and will be starting its own internal inquiry tomorrow. I understand that the signalling and axle counter system, which is used to detect the location of trains in the tunnel, was not working normally at the time. An emergency procedure was in operation which should have ensured that only one train was in the tunnel. There are a number of questions to investigate, which may take some time. British Rail will make its results available to the Health and Safety Executive. A principal inspecting officer from the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate visited the scene of the accident. After consultation with the Health and Safety Commission, I shall be appointing an inspector to carry out an inquiry into the accident under the Regulation of Railways Act 1871. The inquiry will be wholly independent. The report will be published, and I have asked the inspector to report to me as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, British Rail will, of course, take immediate corrective action should the need for it emerge during any of these investigations. At this stage, the cause of the accident is not yet clear, and we cannot reach any conclusions until all the evidence is available.
Sir John Cope : I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for that statement and, on behalf of my constituents, join him in sending sympathy to those who were injured in the accident. In addition, I should like to thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his well deserved tributes to the emergency services.
It is peculiarly frightening to have an accident in a tunnel, but that should not obscure the fact the Severn tunnel in particular, and the railways in general, have a very good accident record and that travelling by rail is safer than travelling by road. Will my right hon. and learned Friend say a bit more about communications? These days, we should expect the drivers of all trains to have two-way communication at all times with the signal box and those who are in control of the track. Does my
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right hon. and learned Friend think that such communication would have contributed to avoiding the accident?Mr. Rifkind : I thank my hon. Friend. He is right to emphasise the general safety level of the railways, which compares favourably with all other modes of transport. Tragically, some 5,000 people die on our roads every year, whereas only about 84 died on the railways during 1990.
As for communication, there is no way of knowing whether a cab radio would have made any difference in this accident, but I agree with my hon. Friend that it is desirable that cab radios should be fitted into locomotives and multiple unit fleets. Already, some 60 per cent. of British Rail locomotive and multiple unit fleets have some such radio installed. All regional railways will have such radios installed by June next year.
Mr. Roy Hughes (Newport, East) : Does the Secretary of State appreciate that the Welsh entrance to the tunnel is in Caldicot in the Newport, East constituency? Local people there have been worried for some time about safety factors which affect the tunnel. For them, last Saturday was an accident that had been waiting to happen. I wrote to Sir Bob Reid, the chairman of British Rail, over 12 months ago expressing my constituents' concern. I also tabled early-day motion 186 in the last Session of Parliament, which was supported by no fewer than 39 hon. Members, calling for lighting throughout the tunnel and for closed circuit television. Certainly those facilities would have helped in the evacuation of the injured last Saturday. The Severn tunnel is a wonderful structure, which has served the travelling public well for over 100 years, but it is now badly in need of modernisation.
Mr. Rifkind : The hon. Gentleman is right to emphasise that the Severn tunnel has served the travelling public extremely well for many years. Indeed, as far as I am aware, there have not been any previous accidents of this nature within the tunnel. I was interested in the points that the hon. Gentleman raised. Clearly the inquiry which is to take place will take into account any comments made by the hon. Gentleman which may be relevant to the cause of the accident or to reducing the prospects of any future incidents.
Mr. James Hill (Southampton, Test) : My right hon. and learned Friend will be aware that on the train were constituents from not only the Portsmouth area but Southampton. We are gravely worried that a series of accidents seem to have taken place in which trains simply run into each other. Surely it must be tantamount to neglect of the safety of our railways if we do not spend more and more money on a system which can give early warning. Aircraft have transponder systems which locate the aircraft exactly so that everyone for several miles around knows where the aircraft is. Surely research and development can provide similar high technology for railway cabs. It is all very well to have two-way communication, but we need some high technology which will prevent trains from slamming into the back of each other.
Mr. Rifkind : My hon. Friend is right to say that British Rail needs to use available modern technology to reduce further the incidence of accidents involving loss of life and injury on the railways. He will be pleased to know that the latest report of the railway inspectorate on railway safety
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showed a modest reduction in the number of collisions between passenger trains in 1990 compared with the previous year. I know that that will be welcome to my hon. Friend.Mr. Alex Carlile (Montgomery) : May I join in the Secretary of State's praise for the emergency services, which acted magnificently, and also in his best wishes to those who were injured? This accident, and the collapse of a railway bridge within the recent past in Wales, together with declining standards and quality of service, raise serious questions about the competence of British Rail's management of the rail network in Wales. Will the Secretary of State please ask the chairman of British Rail to report to him as a matter of urgency on the state of British Rail in Wales an on its financing? Will he also ask the chairman to prepare--at long last --a strategic plan for co-ordinated rail services in Wales, as those services are in a poor state?
Mr. Rifkind : We naturally expect British Rail to attach the greatest importance to safety considerations. That is also the view of the chairman of British Rail, and is matched by the resources that the Government make available. The resources available for safety have increased from £140 million to about £200 million for the current year, and are likely to continue at at least that level. It would be unwise for the hon. and learned Gentleman or for anyone else to draw conclusions about what might have been the cause of this accident. We do not have the information today which would entitle us to draw any conclusions of that kind.
Mr. David Martin (Portsmouth, South) : May I associate myself with my right hon. and learned Friend's comments about the injuries of people on the train? May I also welcome the inquiry that he has announced? As the cause of the accident is not clear, will he deplore the remarks of the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) and others who are already speculating on the causes of the accident and criticising the Government for not investing enough in the railways? That is always the knee-jerk reaction of Opposition Members, who say that we are not spending enough money, without saying precisely how they would improve situations such as this.
Mr. Rifkind : Yes, my hon. Friend is correct. I am afraid that the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott) has a regrettable tendency not to bother with the facts, but to jump to conclusions in the immediate aftermath of any accident, before any of the facts are known to him or to anyone else.
Mr. Donald Anderson (Swansea, East) : Without going into matters which might be the subject of the inquiry, can the Secretary of State confirm, first, that there have been recurrent problems with the signalling at either end of the line, as a result of the damp ; and, secondly, the system in case of an emergency and a red light was for the relevant engine drivers physically to get out of the cab and use a telephone near the tunnel? Although that will be remedied by next June, is it not somewhat antiquated that such a system has persisted for so long?
Mr. Rifkind : I said in my orginal response that there was a failure in the signalling system at the time, and that is why the emergency procedure was in operation. I agreed with the other hon. Member who mentioned radios in
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cabs--they are being introduced into all new cabs and into existing cabs. All regional railways will have such equipment by June next year.Mr. Ian Grist (Cardiff, Central) : Can my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that it took the emergency services an hour to reach the injured, and that another hour went past before the 125 was able to move off? Many people were therefore trapped for a long time. Does he not think that that could be improved on in any future, but hopefully never to be repeated accident?
Mr. Rifkind : I think that it must have been a frightening experience for people trapped within the train for that time. I understand that one of the reasons why it took longer than one would have wished was that the emergency services went to the inappropriate end of the tunnel, further away from the train, and had to be redirected to the other end, which gave easier access to the two trains.
Mr. Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon) : Does the Secretary of State recall that, earlier this year, when he was talking about the increase in BR's external financing, he said that there would be £70 million more for safety matters? Does he accept that a fail-safe system--an automatic train protection system--would cost nearer £390 million and is a matter of urgency? If we are to overcome this sort of problem in future we must put even greater resources into British Rail to safeguard trains, crews and passengers.
Mr. Rifkind : British Rail is at the moment testing automatic train protection, and the Chiltern line has a pilot scheme which, if successful, will enable ATP to be implemented elsewhere on the network.
Mr. Robert Hayward (Kingswood) : Will my right hon. and learned Friend confirm that he will ask the chairman of British Rail urgently to look at the position of the tunnels further along the line to ensure that precautions similar to those that are being instituted in the Severn tunnel will also be made in those tunnels if signalling changes have taken place recently associated with the general modernisation work?
Mr. Rifkind : Yes, it will be appropriate for both British Rail's internal inquiry and the inquiry that I have announced under the railway inspectorate to look at all the implications that may be relevant to the work being undertaken.
Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe and Nantwich) : Will the Secretary of State, without waiting for the report, send for the chairman of British Rail and, exceptionally, offer him enough money to allow him to put into operation an immediate emergency programme for the renewal of signalling systems? It is clear that signalling is one of the vital factors that, unfortunately, has contributed in the immediate past to several major accidents.
Mr. Rifkind : The hon. Lady should not jump to conclusions. My understanding is that the signalling in the Severn tunnel area is relatively new, and was installed in the relatively recent past. The suggestion inherent in her question--that the signalling is antiquated-- does not appear to be justified.
Mr. Robert Adley (Christchurch) : Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree with my right hon. Friend the Member for Northavon (Mr. Cope) that the crash in the
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tunnel was frightening, but that the problem was not caused by junctions, so we should not associate what happened at Purley, for example, with what happened in the Severn tunnel? Is my right hon. and learned Friend familiar with the automatic warning system of the Great Western railway, which has kept this tunnel and hundreds of miles of railway line safe for years?We now seem to have a serious problem with some of the new technology. My right hon. and learned Friend has announced an internal inquiry. In view of the importance of signalling and telecommunications to the railways, would it not be sensible quietly to contemplate the proposition of an independent inquiry into all the technological changes that are taking place on British Rail signalling?
While the subject--
Mr. Adley : As the subject of funds for British Rail has been mentioned, will my right hon. and learned Friend have a look at two points quickly--
Mr. Adley : One point. On locomotive-hauled trains, a flashing red light is used by British Rail, while on multiple units a static light is used. Is not that one matter that could be rearranged? Surely a flashing red light would be far more visible in a tunnel than a static light?
Mr. Rifkind : I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has considerable knowledge of these matters. I will direct his point to the chairman of British Rail, so that the matters are taken into account. My hon. Friend suggested that there would be only an internal inquiry. British Rail is conducting an internal inquiry, but the inquiry that I have announced today, which is to be held by the Health and Safety Executive, will be a public inquiry under the Regulation of Railways Act 1871.
Mr. John Prescott (Kingston upon Hull, East) : May I on behalf of the House offer our deepest sympathy to those who were injured and hope that they have a speedy recovery? Indeed, may I express once again our great admiration for the skill and courage of those involved in our emergency services?
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Is the Secretary of State aware that it is almost three years to the day that we heard of the Clapham rail tragedy, which was caused by faulty signalling and negligence? Is he further aware that last week we heard of a thousand signalling faults on British Rail followed by this further terrible accident in the Severn tunnel, involving signal faults and negligence yet again? [ Hon. Members : --"How do you know?"] British Rail has already accepted responsibility for the matter, as the Secretary of State has pointed out. That undoubtedly goes a long way to explaining the inspectors' report. I hope that the Secretary of State will look again at the figures, instead of looking at them superficially as he has done, to see that, in the past five years, the incidence of passenger train collisions has increased by 40 per cent. over the average for the past 10 years. That is the point that is causing the travelling public great concern.Can the Secretary of State tell us, three years after Clapham, what the total cost is of implementing the Hidden recommendations to make our system safer? Has the Department completed the review of the investment for safety, as required by Hidden? Finally, does he accept that the general public want to see him and his Department using all their energies to ensure the implementation of a safe, reliable railway, instead of producing a White Paper on the privatisation of British Rail?
Mr. Rifkind : The hon. Gentleman is really behaving disgracefully-- [Interruption.] --when he accuses British Rail of negligence before an inquiry has even begun, and when he has not the slightest idea of what caused that accident. The hon. Gentleman is in danger of becoming like a vulture scavenging around every incident, irrespective of the facts and of the accusations that he makes against other people.
The hon. Gentleman referred in his question, and in a conversation on radio during the weekend, to what he describes as "an increasing number" of passenger train collisions. As the hon. Gentleman must know perfectly well from the railway safety report, published only last week, the total number of significant collisions in 1989 was 85, and in 1990 it was 59. If that is what the hon. Gentleman describes as an increasing rate of passenger train collisions, it shows that he does not deserve the attention or respect of the House.
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Bus Plant Closure (Workington)
3.50 pm
Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington) : I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 20 for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely,
"The need for a debate on the closure of the Volvo bus plant, formerly known as Leyland National, in my constituency".
This matter is urgent, as west Cumbria is now on the eve of a renewed spate of large-scale redundancies. Last week, job losses were announced at Allbright and Wilson, and last weekend Volvo announced the closure of its bus plant in Workington with a loss of 370 jobs. That closure will, from July next year, leave empty a modern factory of 650,000 sq ft in my constituency. The area will face a herculean task if it is to find a new occupier for that factory. The House will also be aware of the impending rundown of the THORP--thermal oxide reprocessing plant--construction project at Sellafield with the loss of several thousand jobs.
The matter is important, as Volvo clearly blamed the Government's economic policies for its decision. In the press release announcing the closure, Volvo states :
"The actions are the direct result of deregulation of bus services and the recession, which have combined to severely depress demand." The matter is specific, because the Leyland/Volvo plant in Workington is Britain's principal bus producing plant. Surely it cannot be right for a foreign company, faced with recession and a lack of profitability at home, in Sweden, to cut its overseas operations and, in doing so, close down the United Kingdom's strategic bus manufacturing plant. Such a decision is surely a matter for Government.
The plant was built under a Labour Government, with a large amount of taxpayers' money, as part of efforts to consolidate bus manufacturing within the United Kingdom. Its loss can lead only to an invasion of imports when the recession ends and the market picks up. In the absence of adequate bus production capacity in the United Kingdom, we can face only danger in terms of the future bus market. I appeal to you, Mr. Speaker, to allow us to have a debate on this matter today.
Mr. Speaker : The hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) seeks leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 20, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, "The closure of the Leyland Volvo bus manufacturing plant in Workington, with the loss of 370 jobs, announced this weekend." I have listened with concern to what the hon. Gentleman said about this matter. As he knows, I must decide whether to give this matter precedent over the business set down for today or for tomorrow. I regret that his application does not meet the requirements of the Standing Order. I therefore cannot submit the hon. Gentleman's application to the House. I hope that there may be other opportunities for the hon. Gentleman to raise this matter this week.
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Points of Order
3.55 pm
Mr. Simon Burns (Chelmsford) : On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As you are probably aware, when astronomers discover a new star, there are special procedures for registering it. I wonder whether you follow any special procedure when you spot a new political party in the House. For example, will you instigate an investigation and action to change the Short money as a result of the hon. Members for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mr. Fields) and for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) ceasing to be members of the Labour party? Will you expect the size of that new political party to increase, as other non-community-charge-paying Labour Members join it?
Mr. Speaker : I regularly look for stars in the Chamber, and I believe that the stars are on the Floor of the House. However, I am not certain that such a point of order falls within my area of responsibility.
Mr. Michael Meacher (Oldham, West) : On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you received a request from the Secretary of State for Social Security to be allowed to make a statement on the withdrawal of moneys from Mirror Group Newspapers' pension fund? The revelations from MGN show that there is a gaping hole in the law covering pension funds. There is no legal provision for an independent chairman, 50 per cent. independently elected employee representation on the board, or full and up-to-date disclosure of information covering a fund's financial state or the allocation of its surpluses.
As there is no provision either for fully protecting the interests of fund members, the Government's proposed regulation on self-investment is irrelevant to what has been revealed in respect of the MGN pension fund. Millions of employees and pensioners are deeply worried about the future of their pension funds as a result of the MGN revelations, so will you, Mr. Speaker, use your good offices to seek an early statement to the House by the Secretary of State, so that the public's doubts and apprehensions can be allayed?
Several Hon. Members : Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker : Order. Perhaps I can save time. That matter was raised at business questions and in points of order to me last Thursday. I said then that it seemed to me that the Consolidated Fund Bill would provide an opportunity to debate it--possibly at some length.
Mr. David Sumberg (Bury, South) : Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps I may support the request of the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher). Such a debate would give right hon. and hon. Members--particularly those whose constituents, like mine in the north- west, are suffering from the loss of their MGN pensions--an opportunity to ask the Opposition to account for the way in which some of their members who were trustees of the MGN fund behaved in a wholly negligent way.
Mr. Speaker : That point could also be raised in the Consolidated Fund Bill debate.
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Mr. David Winnick (Walsall, North) : Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Leaving aside cheap party political propaganda, I put it to you, in all seriousness, that literally millions of people in this country will rely when they retire on occupational pensions. They know that, if anything went wrong, they would lead a life of poverty or near-poverty. Concern about that is likely to spread beyond those immediately affected by the revelations about Robert Maxwell's actions at Mirror Group Newspapers. Would it not be right for the Secretary of State to come to the House to say what steps are being taken to try to ensure that the sort of dishonesty and crookery that went on at MGN is not being repeated elsewhere? The people of this country are entitled to know that.Mr. Speaker : I cannot say anything more. If that topic is submitted as a subject for debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill, I will certainly give it careful consideration. Such a debate would give the hon. Members who have raised those points of order an opportunity to participate, and for a Minister to respond.
Mr. Roger King (Birmingham, Northfield) : Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker : What more can I say?
Mr. King : You kindly reminded the House, Mr. Speaker, that the Consolidated Fund Bill may provide an opportunity to debate the MGN pension fund, but I wonder how far such a debate could
go--particularly in respect of references to Mirror Group Newspapers, the Daily Mirror, payments to the Labour party, advertising in Labour party journals, and so on. Would we not be touching on areas that are sub judice, or which are the subject of possible legal action, which may or may not be taken? Would an application for a full debate on Robert Maxwell, Mirror Group Newspapers and the Labour party be permissible?
Mr. Speaker : We shall have to consider the sub judice rule in relation to what is said, but at present I can see nothing sub judice in this matter.
Mr. Anthony Beaumont-Dark (Birmingham, Selly Oak) : On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In a spirit of Christmas unity, may I agree with the shadow Secretary of State for Social Security, the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher)? A full debate on the issue would indeed be very helpful to us all. It is to the hon. Gentleman's credit that he wishes to raise a matter that may be embarrassing to his hon. Friends.
Would it not be a good idea, given the suggestion that all these shady capitalist things happen on only one side of the House, to discuss pension funds and how they are to be controlled? Regardless of what company is involved in such matters and of whether it has a socialist supporter, a Conservative supporter or no political supporter at all, it is our duty as a House to enable everyone in the country to feel that his or her pension is well protected.
Mr. Speaker : If the hon. Gentleman is called to speak in the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill or the Adjournment motion, he could well raise those points then.
Mr. Beaumont-Dark : I appeal to your Christmas spirit, Mr. Speaker. Will you allow such a debate?
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Mr. Speaker : Those are not matters for me.
Dr. John Cunningham (Copeland) : Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I share the view expressed by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr. Beaumont-Dark) : it does not matter whether those involved in fraud, the rip-off of investors of the misuse of pension funds belong to any political party, or to no political party. There have been plenty of City frauds and scandals involving Conservative supporters. This is just the latest in long line of such scandals, which besmirch the country's financial institutions as a whole.
My hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) is right to point out that revelations such as these terrify people whose lifelong pension contributions are at the mercy of those responsible for the action taken at Mirror Group Newspapers. It will seem strange to them that the House has not been given the opportunity to hear a statement on the matter, or to debate it. I strongly support my hon. Friend's request for a statement.
Mr. Speaker : Any statement is for the Government--what has been said will have been heard by the Home Secretary and other Ministers. As I have said, there will be opportunities for hon. Members to debate this matter during the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill, if the subject is submitted.
Mr. David Shaw (Dover) : On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker : Is it a different point of order?
Mr. Speaker : Absolutely different?
Can you say, Mr. Speaker, whether it would be in order, during any debate on the Maxwell group pension fund fiddles, to raise the subject of the fiddles carried out by the Labour Government in 1976--
Mr. Speaker : Order. That point of order seems to be related to the matter that we have just been discussing.
Mr. Michael Irvine (Ipswich) rose --
Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) rose --
Mr. Speaker : No, I do not think that we need to hear any more points of order. Let me tell the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) that I heard what he said about this matter on Thursday, and I agree with him.
BILLS PRESENTED
Commonwealth of Europe
Mr. Tony Benn presented a Bill to provide for the establishment of a Commonwealth of Europe ; and for purposes connected therewith : And the same was read the First time ; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 17 January and to be printed. [Bill 37.]
Cheques
Mr. Conal Gregory, supported by Mr. Anthony Coombs, Mr. Simon Coombs, Mr. Douglas French, Mr. Archy Kirkwood, Sir Richard Luce, Mrs Marion Roe, Sir Gerard Vaughan, Mr. Alan Williams and Mr. Robert Wareing, presented a Bill to amend the law relating to
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cheques : And the same was read the First time ; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 17 January and to be printed. [Bill 38.]Statutory Instruments, &c.
Mr. Speaker : With permission, I will put together the two motions on the Order Paper.
Motion made, and Question put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 101 (3) (Standing Committees on Statutory Instruments, &c.).
Rating and Valuation
That the draft Non-Domestic Rating (Appropriate Fraction and Rateable Values) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.
Representation of the People
That the draft European Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) (Miscellaneous Changes) Order 1991 be referred to a Standing Committee on Statutory Instruments, &c.-- [Mr. Greg Knight.] Question agreed to.
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