HC Deb 02 November 1965 vol 718 cc856-7
19. Sir W. Anstruther-Gray

asked the Minister of Power how many pits are scheduled for closure within the next two years.

Mr. Lee

The scheduling of individual closures is a matter for the National Coal Board after consultation with the Unions and I am asking the Chairman to write to the right hon. Member.

Sir W. Anstruther-Gray

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask whether he can say how many of the pits are in Scotland and whether he is satisfied that the men displaced will be able to find mining employment in Scotland and not have to travel south to England?

Mr. Lee

I could not give the right hon. Gentleman any further information yet. The National Coal Board itself will be making statements about this. I cannot guarantee that this will simply be a matter of transferring every miner to another pit, but there is a very great amount of redeployment going on within the industry. As I told my hon. Friend just now, wherever it is a case of not being able to absorb men within the coal industry, we shall make every possible endeavour to ensure that there is suitable employment elsewhere.

Mr. Monro

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that there will be a minimum period of two years' notice of closures so that the Board of Trade has a reasonable opportunity to provide advance factories and so on?

Mr. Lee

I said earlier that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, other Members of the Government and myself are working closely together as a team on this matter. We shall be looking at it continuously. It will not be just one review. During the whole period there will be very close co-ordination between the Departments concerned.