Prime Minister
I would just like to say how grief-stricken we all are here about the terrible accident which occurred near Clapham this morning.
The news of the severity of the accident was brought to me while I was in the Cabinet Room at a meeting and it brings home to us very much that families have lost some of their dearest people just at a time when it is coming up to Christmas. What has happened would be a tragedy for them anyway at any time. It is even more poignant at Christmas and we just have to do everything we can to help and comfort them in their deep sorrow.
The emergency services, of course, have operated magnificently as they always do and we are very grateful both to them and to the hospital services.
Paul Channon has gone to the scene and, of course, there will be an inquiry but in the meantime we have to do everything we can to help those who have been stricken in this terrible way.
Would you like to ask any further questions? [end p1]
Question
Mrs. Thatcher, we were wondering if perhaps you might be hoping to meet some of the survivors … .
Prime Minister
Yes, I usually do, as you know, when we have these tragedies. While they are so busy getting people away into hospital and trying to free everyone they can, they do not want too many people about. I try to go to the hospitals when they have managed to get as many people as possible comfortable and done the operations. They do not want people around while their whole attention must be given to relieving the suffering and to bringing help, and so I wait until they have done that and then go to say “thank you” and go to see some of those and their relatives who are in the hospitals.
Question
This is one of the most serious crashes for a number of years.
First of all, will you be getting a personal briefing on it from Mr. Channon?
Secondly, the nature of the inquiry. Presumably, it will have to be larger than just an internal inquiry? [end p2]
Prime Minister
Yes. When Paul Channon comes back I shall have a briefing and he will obviously be making a statement in the House this afternoon, because I think we have all been very deeply shocked by the numbers who are dead and the numbers who are injured.
I am not quite certain what kind of inquiry. I agree that an internal inquiry would not be enough. We will have to consider what kind of inquiry, under which statute, but I think that obviously there has to be an inquiry that makes it clear to everyone that whatever has happened will come out into the open and there will be a full and complete inquiry.
Question
Have you yourself been satisfied with the safety record recently of British Rail?
Prime Minister
That will be something which has to be considered in the inquiry itself. This happens at a time when millions of people are being brought into London, but nevertheless, every day goes all right until suddenly something goes wrong. We do not know what it is that has gone wrong and we cannot postulate—we just have to wait for someone to find the facts—but it has gone wrong in a very very deeply tragic way. [end p3]
Question
There has been concern for some months about the level of crowding on trains. Do you think that that would be something that might need to be taken into account in view of the fact that this was a rush-hour accident?
Prime Minister
I do not know that that would necessarily be due to the crowding on trains, unless the accident inquiry finds that it was, but you know that when people want to get in the morning, they do try to clamber on the train even though it mostly means standing, because they are anxious to get to their destination.