HC Deb 11 May 1994 vol 243 cc318-20
22. Mr. Skinner

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next expects to meet the chair of British Coal to discuss pit closures.

Mr. Eggar

Both my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I meet the chairman of British Coal as necessary to discuss a variety of coal industry matters.

Mr. Skinner

Is the Minister aware that it adds insult to injury for miners who have recently lost their jobs—there are no pits left in north Derbyshire now—to be told that they did not want the coal for the nation, when they are having to suffer massive imports and opencast coal mining on a massive production line? Is there anything more sickening for communities than to see bulldozers tearing up the countryside in areas where pits have been closed? The bulldozers will be there for 10 years, digging big holes and dumping toxic waste. Will the Minister tell British Coal to stop these developments and will he tell his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to stop planning applications for opencast developments?

Mr. Eggar

As occurs so frequently nowadays, the hon. Gentleman is wrong, wrong and wrong again. Coal imports are down.

With regard to opencast developments, the hon. Gentleman should know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is at the moment consulting about a revision to MPG3. I seem to remember that the last time that the hon. Gentleman spoke to me about coal he argued for the protection of his own constituents, or nearby inhabitants, in relation to the opencast procedures which were to be followed by British Coal. He cannot have it both ways.