§ 14. Mr. Fallonasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will ask the National Coal Board to expand opencast production.
§ Mr. David HuntAs my right hon. Friend has said, opencast coal has an important role in securing a healthy future for the coal industry. It is for the National Coal Board to decide the level of opencast production necessary for its market requirements.
§ Mr. FallonIs my hon. Friend aware that in the northeast we have been denied low-cost production and much needed jobs by county councils acting as wholly-owned subsidiaries of the National Union of Mineworkers and by a Coal Board that balances opencast mining against deep mine production? Has the time not come to free opencast from the dead hand of Hobart House and allow it to expand as one of our growth industries?
§ Mr. HuntAs my hon. Friend is aware, the changes to licensing arrangements would require legislation, for which there are no plans at present. The existing arrangements can work well if they are used properly.
§ Mr. EadieWill the Minister bear in mind that the problem about opencast coal mining is not just that it causes noise and visual pollution, but that it is a form of vandalism, in that good seams cannot be worked and are sterilised and lost as a result of some opencast operations, which is wasteful?
§ Mr. HuntThe hon. Gentleman must be aware that many deep mines depend on opencast production for blending to provide an acceptable product that customers, particularly in electricity generation and the industrial market, want.