§ 16. Mr. Kelleyasked the Minister of Power if he is aware that there is now more than 6 million tons of opencast coal in stock in various parts of the country; and if he will now consider discontinuing this method of extraction forthwith.
§ Mr. KelleyIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that one of his Ministerial colleagues thought fit to reduce the width of the Birmingham-Bristol motorway in order to save 140 acres of land for agricultural purposes? There are now 40,000 acres of good land being used for opencast mining. Would it not be to the advantage of the nation that that 15 land should be used with the 140 acres for the purpose of growing food, 9,241,000 tons of which were imported last year?
§ Mr. WoodI have already told the hon. Member that the Board is trying to reduce opencast working as fast as it can. I do not feel able to press it to reduce it further.
Mr. LeeAlthough I accept what he said—that the Board is reducing opencast working very fast—would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that one of the reasons holding it back from doing so more rapidly is the question of contracts? Have the Government considered whether they could not use the contractors and their machines for other work, such as roads and building works?
§ Mr. WoodEven if that method were adopted, the cost of breaking the contracts which have been made with contractors for opencast working would be extremely heavy. I do not feel able to advise the Board to do that.