Oral answer to question provided on Wednesday, 20 June 2007 in the House of Lords, by Lord Goldsmith (Labour).

Railways: Paddington Crash

Answer: My Lords, the defendant pleaded guilty to the offence. That seems to me to be quite significant. As the noble Lord will know, the responsibilities of the former body were passed to the new body. I see no difficulty with this at all.

This is an answer to the Oral question asked on Wednesday, 20 June 2007 by Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat).

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. The crash happened when Railtrack was in charge of the network, but the network is now governed by Network Rail, so totally different people were prosecuted. The operator that failed to train its driver was fined, and I have no quarrel with that, but since the accident Network Rail—or should I say the taxpayer?—has spent £500 million on installing a train protection and warning system to prevent such an accident from happening again. I want to press the Minister on whether there was any guilty mind on the part of the people who were prosecuted, because it seems that the mens rea in this case was absent.

Secondary information

Type: Oral answer to question
Reference: 693 c215
Session: 2006-07
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Accidents Prosecutions Public interest Railways Network Rail Ladbroke Grove
Link: View this Oral answer to question on www.publications.parliament.uk