HC Deb 30 April 1990 vol 171 cc713-5
9. Mr. Denzil Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to meet, in the near future, the chairman of British Coal to discuss the future of the coal industry in Wales.

The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Peter Walker)

I met the chairman of British Coal on 23 April.

Mr. Davies

Before the Secretary of State, or perhaps his successor, next meets the chairman, will the Welsh Office study the effect on the coal industry of the use of natural gas for electricity generation? If the present rush towards natural gas continues, it will mean the end of what is left of the coal industry. That will lead to the disruption of huge parts of the power station generation industry and the creation of a near-monopoly for British Gas. Are the Government concerned about this, or are we witnessing another lamentable exercise in British short-termism?

Mr. Walker

All Governments examine the best and most cost-effective fuels to use, and there is considerable pressure from all parties, including the Labour party, to examine the environmental impact of various fuels. I accept the right hon. Gentleman's view that any Government of any description must consider carefully a range of factors, including cost-effectiveness and the effect on communities, jobs and the environment. I think that that should be done.

Mr. Coleman

May I urge the Secretary of State to meet the chairman of British Coal urgently? Will he raise with him the proposed closure of Blaenant colliery in my constituency? If it is closed, hundreds of jobs will be destroyed and millions of tonnes of best anthracite coal will be left under the ground. Those are two assets of prime importance to Britain.

Mr. Walker

I am sure that the chairman and the regional managers will examine carefully any closure proposal. There is, as the hon. Gentleman knows, a proper procedure. He knows, too, that pit closures have confronted all Governments. Since 1965, there have been 96 closures, 61 under Labour Governments and 35 under Conservative Governments.

Mr. Raffan

Will my right hon. Friend find out from the chairman of British Coal the current position regarding the opencast executive's proposed 10-year programme for the county of Clwyd? Will he also make him aware of the widespread local concern that that programme has been discussed confidentially with Clwyd county council but has not yet been made public, even though British Coal said that it would be 10 months ago?

Mr. Walker

I can certainly convey my hon. Friend's views about the programme not being made public. Discussion may well have taken place with the local authority—which has, of course, powers over planning.

Mrs. Clwyd

Is the Secretary of State aware that Cynon Valley still has the highest male unemployment rate in Wales, which is exactly the same position as when he took over as Secretary of State? Does he accept that he has presided over pit closures in the constituency that have led to the present problem? Is he aware that the intended closure of the furnacite plant and the loss of many more jobs in the constituency will add to the problem? Will he tell us, without bluster, precisely what he intends to do to bring jobs, as a matter of urgency, into Cynon Valley?

Mr. Walker

The hon. Lady, in the careful wording of her question, failed to mention the large reduction in unemployment in Cynon Valley during the three years that I have been Secretary of State. Although Cynon Valley might still have the worst male unemployment rate, it is now at a far lower level despite the pit closures that have taken place under all Governments. I am grateful for the nice comments that have been made to me and expressed in letters from people in the hon. Lady's constituency about the new industries, new firms, derelict land clearance and high investment that have been introduced during the past three years.

Mr. Barry Jones

Will the right hon. Gentleman heed carefully the words of the Blacnant miners' leader, Mr. Bowen, who said that west Glamorgan could ill afford the loss of hundreds of well-paid, highly skilled manufacturing jobs? Is he aware that British Coal's target appears to be designed to make it impossible for pits to pay their way? Will he think hard about the fact that in the glossy valleys programme no reference is made to the loss of six pits and 3,500 jobs? We now wonder what the future of the south Wales coalfield will be should Blaenant close.

Mr. Walker

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman must rejoice in the fact that although I have had to sustain a series of coal pit closures in the valleys since the valleys initiative, unemployment in Wales has gone down faster than in the remainder of the United Kingdom and in the valleys it has gone down even faster than in the remainder of Wales. There is no doubt that, desite the pit closures, there has been a fast-improving position in the valleys. I am also pleased to say that there is now a procedure through which any intended pit closure must go, which is much better than the procedure in operation when 61 pits were closed under Labour Governments.