§ 6. Mr. IllsleyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for payments to mineworkers on the transfer of the coal industry to the private sector.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Energy (Mr. Charles Wardle)I have no such proposals.
§ Mr. IllsleyThe Minister may be aware that there is increasing speculation among mineworkers employed in the coal industry that their contracts of employment will be terminated when they are required to apply for jobs in the private sector. Can he tell us whether that will happen, and whether any payment will be made to mineworkers invited to transfer to the new privatised coal industry? Will there be redundancies, with fewer men employed in the industry in future?
§ Mr. WardleMiners transferring to the private sector will not be redundant and they will transfer under the well established Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, which will cover their contractual rights, including those relating to redundancy levels. The hon. Gentleman has always been perfectly open about his past employment with the National Union of Mineworkers, but it is a bit rich for him to suggest that an industry which has received nearly £20 billion from the taxpayer since 1979 should ask the taxpayer to dip further into his pocket and give miners a parting gift when they sensibly join the private sector.
§ Mrs. PeacockWill my hon. Friend confirm that one of the requirements of the privatisation process was that companies bidding would provide redundancy finance if and when required?
§ Mr. WardleMy hon. Friend is right; that is the cover provided by the TUPE regulations. When the Minister of State made his announcement last month about the preferred bidders he made it clear that those companies were well funded and able to meet their liabilities. Thanks to the TUPE regulations, they will do precisely that—when necessary.