Tin Mining (Cornwall) (Hansard, 8 April 1986)

§ Mr. David Harris (St. Ives)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely,

the tin crisis in Cornwall, particularly the suspension of mining at Geevor". I hope that I and my colleagues from Cornwall, particularly the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Penhaligon) and my hon. Friend the Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Mudd), have said sufficient over the past weeks and months to convince you, Mr. Speaker, and the House of the specific nature of the crisis facing Cornwall and of the importance of that crisis for the count) and for those who work in its tin mining industry.

I am afraid that during the recess the importance, seriousness and urgency of the matter has intensified dramatically, particularly a week ago when, unfortunately, Geevor mine in my constituency was forced to give notice to some 270 of its employees that they would be laid off at the end of last week.

It must have been one of the saddest days in the history of Cornwall when that took effect last Friday. It certainly had a tremendous impact on the whole of the county and, dare I suggest, even beyond the boundaries of the county, when the final shift came up from Geevor mine last Friday. The miners did not know whether they would ever return to the mine. Of course, whether they will return depends, in large measure, on the response to a submission today from the management of Geevor mine to the Government.

Here, I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry, who is in the House today, who was very good over the holiday weekend to take repeated telephone calls from me and listen to the urgent pleas I was making. However, the Government will now have to decide the fate of the mine and the fate of the tin industry in Cornwall.

In urging you, Mr. Speaker, to consider this matter as one of supreme urgency, I shall quote from the report of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry, which was published just as the House was going into recess before Easter. On the whole tin crisis the Committee said that if the Government

waits for the tin price to settle before taking action, there will be no tin industry left in Cornwall". The concluding paragraph of the report said:

It is of supreme importance that the Government should begin negotiations with the industry on the possible types and amounts of aid and conclude them without delay. We believe that the Cornish tin industry is worth saving. That is what the Select Committee said and that sentiment is echoed by everyone in the county of Cornwall and by many beyond it.

I urge you, Mr. Speaker, to consider giving leave to move for an emergency debate so that the House may discuss, without delay, the seriousness of the situation and particularly the plight of the miners.