HC Deb 24 October 1979 vol 972 cc402-3
6. Mr. Canavan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects next to meet the chairman of the South of Scotland Electricity Board.

Mr. Younger

I have no immediate plans for a further meeting with the chairman of the board, whom I saw last month.

Mr. Canavan

Does the Secretary of State remember his Minister telling me, in a written answer on 20 July, that he would ask the electricity board chairman to write to me about the burning of imported coal in Scottish power stations? I am still awaiting a reply. Instead of turning a blind eye to the import of 100,000 tons of coal from places such as China, will the Secretary of State give us an assurance that he will fight in the Cabinet to ensure that his Government will go ahead with public investment in the Scottish coal industry, in places such as Musselburgh and the Stirlingshire and Clackmannan coalfield, where there are more than 300 million tons of indigenous coal?

Mr. Younger

The Government have a responsibility to ensure that the people in Scotland can be kept warm this winter. We have already told the National Coal Board that we will take in the power stations every lump of coal that it can mine this winter. If there is a shortfall from that, as there is, we are responsible for trying to import coal from elsewhere. It would be very remiss of us if we did not.

Mr. Eadie

Since the Secretary of State is aware that the electricity board has stated that it will burn all the Scottish coal it can get this year, and bearing in mind that some of the new finds in Scotland are among the best and most exciting in the whole of the United Kingdom, will he, if he decides to meet the chairman of the board, discuss with him the question of the refurbishing of existing coal-fired power stations, and even discuss the question of building new coal-fired power stations? Is the Secretary of State aware that the power plant industry in Scotland would be very pleased if that kind of policy were pursued?

Mr. Younger

I am very grateful to the hon. Gentleman for confirming what I said a moment ago, that we are prepared to burn every bit of coal that can be mined in Scotland this winter. All the matters to which he has referred will be discussed between me and the electricity board chairman in planning our future provision of electricity.

Mr. Russell Johnston

What is the stock position? There are rumours that in some cases it is down to two days. Will the Secretary of State take the opportunity of dispelling these rumours, if they are not true?

Mr. Younger

Although the stock position could be better, there is no truth in rumours such as that, and we expect to be able to get through the winter, in normal conditions, reasonably satisfactory.

Mr. Lang

Does not my right hon. Friend agree that there must be something seriously wrong with output and productivity in Scottish coal mines if it is possible to import coal from the other side of the world and still save money in doing so?

Mr. Younger

I appreciate what my hon. Friend says. This is indeed something that the National Coal Board and the unions concerned are looking at very seriously.