Vale of Belvoir (Hansard, 8 February 1982)

§ 1. Mr. Welsh
asked the Secretary of State for Energy when the National Coal Board would be able to start development of the Vale of Belvoir's three collieries in the event of the granting of planning permission.

§ The Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Nigel Lawson)
Planning permission is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. I cannot speculate on subsequent events in advance of his decision.

§ Mr. Welsh
To maximise returns from the Vale of Belvoir the NCB should work only three pits, so will the right hon. Gentleman ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to take that factor into account? Does he agree that to work more than three pits would reduce the NCB's returns and increase unit costs, so the undertaking would not be efficient and effective? As the inquiry report has been with the Department of the Environment for over a year, does that not show that that Department is the most inefficient of the lot?

§ Mr. Lawson
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will take into account the economic and environment dimensions. The hon. Gentleman asked whether the delay proved that the Department of the Environment was inefficient. It proves nothing of the sort. It is a highly complex issue, as the hon. Gentleman will be the first to agree. I am sure that my right hon. Friend will make his decision as soon as he possibly can.

§ Mr. Latham
Have not the many thousands who objected to the Vale of Belvoir project as much right to have their views heard and respected as would, say, the citizens of Don Valley if it were proposed to site a PWR there?

§ Mr. Lawson
Yes, Sir.

§ Mr. Haynes
Is the Secretary of State aware of the pressures on hon. Members for the development of the Vale of Belvoir coalfield? It would create jobs and finance for the NCB and the nation, and coal is the nation's cheapest energy source. When will the Government stop dilly-dallying and get stuck into the job that they were appointed to do?

§ Mr. Lawson
I have already answered the question, but I shall gladly do so again. The matter is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, and he will take a decision as soon as he possibly can.

§ Mr. Haynes
They are dilly-dallying.

§ Mr. Skeet
As the Secretary of State has had about 18 months to work out production costs for the Vale of Belvoir on the assessment of two pits, may we now know what they would be? Would they be similar to those at Selby?

§ Mr. Lawson
I am sure that the NCB would be happy to enlighten my hon. Friend. All these matters were discussed at considerable length in the public inquiry, which is what it was for.

§ Mr. Merlyn Rees
When eventually the Department of the Environment makes a statement on environmental matters, which is what it is paid to do, will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement at the same time on the energy implications, as I fail to see why the Department of the Environment should lay down the law on energy matters?

§ Mr. Lawson
Although they are planning inquiries, they also have to take account of the economic dimension. There was no separate environmental inquiry. Precisely the same applies to Sizewell, which we discussed last week. There again the inspector will be concerned with both environmental and economic matters.