Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat). It was answered by Lord Goldsmith (Labour) on Wednesday, 20 June 2007.

Railways: Paddington Crash

Question: Whether they have assessed the extent to which the prosecution of Network Rail for the Paddington crash was in the public interest.

Answer: My Lords, it was clearly in the public interest to prosecute. The independent inquiry by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Cullen, described there having been, "““a serious and persistent failure””," to deal with the recognised problem of signals passed at danger in the Paddington area. Thirty-one people were killed in the crash. The Crown Prosecution Service applied the Code for Crown Prosecutors and held that it was in the public interest to prosecute. I entirely agree with it.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 693 c214
Session: 2006-07
Oral question type: Lead
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Accidents Prosecutions Public interest Railways Network Rail Ladbroke Grove
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk