§ Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the results of the consultation on investment for the coal industry. [98638]
§ Mr. WilsonI intend to publish shortly a formal response to the consultation on the case for investment aid to the coal industry.
An outline framework for an investment aid scheme was submitted to the European Commission on 19 December 2002. But a number of important details remain to be finalised, and these are now being worked on in the light of the commitments set out in the Energy Policy White Paper Cm 5761, published on 24 February 2003.