§ 8. Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals she has to meet representatives of companies affected by the coal mines closure programme. [662]
§ Mr. BattleI am happy to meet and listen to representatives from the coal industry—as I have done in the past and since the election—and more contacts are planned.
§ Mr. HinchliffeI warmly welcome my hon. Friend to his new position and wish him well in the work that he is doing. I draw his attention to the impact of the coal closure programme on companies such as British Jeffrey Diamond in the mining engineering sector in Wakefield. When my hon. Friend meets UK coal producers, will he remind them of the importance of purchasing British engineering products for British pits, particularly in areas such as Wakefield? To pick up the Secretary of State's earlier point on exports, will my hon. Friend actively press his Department to do far more to support the export efforts of companies such as British Jeffrey Diamond?
§ Mr. BattleI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his information about British Jeffrey Diamond. Mining engineering technology developed in Britain is second to none and has a long history of manufacturing and engineering expertise. I am tempted to say that it was neglected in previous times, but I hope that it will be fully supported now. We have export drives and promotion campaigns; there is one for mining in Poland. The aim of that campaign is to help UK exporters. We also want to improve markets here. If my hon. Friend will let me have details, I will ensure that companies are put in touch with the relevant officials and we may be able to make progress.