§ 1. Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from individuals and organisations concerning the operations which the National Coal Board proposes to carry out at Northop.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Alec Jones)My right hon. and learned Friend has received a total of five letters over the past four years.
§ Sir A. MeyerIs the hon. Gentleman aware of the great anxiety felt by people living in the village of Northop that the present planning permission may be taken to cover permission to start a mine in the immediate vicinity of the village, and that they will have no effective way of protesting against it?
§ Mr. Alec JonesI understand the great anxiety to which the hon. Gentleman refers but one has to try to strike a balance between the need to recover about 700,000 tons of steam coal, providing 50 additional jobs, and the environmental impact. The responsibility is principally that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy. If there were statutory objections, a public inquiry would of course be held.