House of Commons

House of Commons
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Oral Answers to Questions
TRANSPORT -Topical Questions
Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley) (Lab): Four-year-old Finlay Martin was tragically killed last July when he was hit by a trailer that broke free from a car while he was walking in the village of Heage with his mother. The deputy coroner at the inquest just held said that she would write to the Department for Transport to ensure that lessons were learned. Will my hon. Friend investigate seriously the introduction of an annual mandatory test of road worthiness and an MOT for trailers that are pulled by road vehicles, and for such vehicles to have mandatory brake systems, which did not happen in this case? That has been requested by Finlay’s grandparents and many of my constituents.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Jim Fitzpatrick: We are aware of this tragic accident, which occurred last summer. We extend our deepest sympathies to the parents and family of Finlay, who lost his life as a result of what happened. We want to make sure that when we introduce new regulations, they can be applied and they are appropriate. Introducing MOT-style tests for such trailers is a possibility that we have considered before, and it is a matter that we keep under review. There have several such accidents in recent months, and I will certainly consider the matter with officials in the Department to see whether we need to move on that.