§ 26. Mr. M. Philips Priceasked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of that part of the Coal Board's National Development Plan relating to the Forest of Dean coalfield, envisaging the virtual exhaustion of the coal within the next 15 years and a gradual decline up to then, he will consider further measures to attract other industries to this area, so as to avoid serious unemployment or the uprooting of a part of the industrial population.
Mr. H. WilsonIt would be premature for me to make any statement on this subject until the proposals contained in the National Coal Board's "Plan for Coal" have been considered by the industry's National Consultative Council and the Consumers' Councils and presented to my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Fuel and Power, for his approval. But as I informed my hon. Friend in reply to his Question on 22nd June, he can rest assured that we are keeping the industrial trends in this area, and other areas likely to be affected, under constant review.