asked the Secretary of State for Transport if the inquiry into the recent accident on the M6 will look into ways of reducing fire hazards in road accidents.

As I have assured the House, when all the evidence is available I shall be looking at every aspect of the accident on the M6 on 21 October to see what lessons may be learnt for the future. We are already looking into the general subject of fire risk in road accidents and, in the case of coaches, we are seeking advice from the fire research station on our proposals that new coaches should meet specified standards for fire retardant material.