§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they propose to proceed with opencast coal mining operations in Western Worcestershire, which is an area of rich agricultural value and outstanding natural beauty (vide the Abercrombie Report, 1945); and whether they will hold an immediate public inquiry to allay the widespread alarm these proposals have engendered.]
872§ THE PAYMASTER - GENERAL (LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGOR)My Lords, as part of the programme of coal production announced by the Minister of Fuel and Power in January, 1950, for obtaining 45,000,000 tons of opencast coal during the period 1950–53, the Ministry propose to prospect in Western Worcestershire with the object of ascertaining the value of the outcrop resources of coal. Until boring has taken place it is not possible to say whether working proposals in any particular area will result. If such proposals are made, there will be full opportunity for any objections to be considered by the authorities concerned, including the Ministries of Town and Country Planning and Agriculture. His Majesty's Government do not consider that this aspect of the matter can be dealt with appropriately at a public inquiry.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether he personally knows this area and, if he does, whether he will agree with me when I suggest that it is par excellence the garden area of England; and whether he is aware that the mere making of such a proposal conflicts greatly with the Report, which is already in possession of the Government, made by Sir Patrick Abercrombie in 1945? I have the Report here and can quote him passages from it. Is the noble Lord aware that the whole of this area constitutes a great market garden-cumfruit farm and that the whole drainage of the area would probably be upset by any opencast coal mining operations? May I ask him whether, in order to allay possible anxiety, His Majesty's Government will give some assurance to the people of the area—and, in fact, to the people of the whole of the British Isles—that no proposal to turn this area of England into a desert will be entertained for one moment?
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, in answer to the noble Earl's supplementary question, may I say that whilst I am not acquainted with the area so well as he is, as a result of his Question I have read the Abercrombie Report and agree with what he has said concerning the beauty of this area? We understand that there is a possibility of finding outcrop coal there. We intend to investigate that possibility, and if we are satisfied that the 873 outcrop is such that we ought to exploit it there will then be an opportunity for the noble Earl and all his friends to make their objections. If the objections are as strong as he says they are, it may be that, although we think that the coal there ought to be exploited, we shall reconsider our decision.
LORD HAMPTONMy Lords, as a native of that distressed and very anxious county, may I ask the noble Lord whether the Government are aware of the consternation—because no other word would fit—which is being caused throughout the whole county by these proposals; whether they are aware that no fewer than twelve areas have been marked for spoliation in this way, most of them good agricultural land, and one of them, so I am informed, part of the Wyre Forest, which is one of the finest natural wild life sancturies in the Kingdom; whether they will work wholeheartedly with the Ministry of Town and Country Planning with regard to preserving this area for future generations; and whether they consider that the spoliation of the country in this way really fulfils any useful object? As a short-term policy no doubt it is convenient to get coal in this way, but if we look at it from a long-term aspect it seems to create the greatest hardship on those immediately concerned. It is a dangerous threat to agriculture and a dangerous threat also to the future amenities of our countryside.
EARL BOWEMy Lords, before the noble Lord replies, I would ask him whether lie is acquainted with this passage in the Abercrombie Report in which it says, first of all, that this land is:
…really good farmland of a quality far above the national average,and secondly, that,With the great need for home production of food, this land is extremely precious and any inroads into it for industry and housing must be considered with fir greater care in relation to the national picture than would be the case in many English counties.
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, I am acquainted with that passage—indeed, I 874 have it before me now. In reply to the noble Lord, Lord Hampton, may I thank him for giving me prior notice of his supplementary questions, but say that I regret that I am unable to add anything to what I have already said?
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I understand from the noble Lord's answer that the only proposition at present before us is that certain boring operations should take place to find out whether there is any coal in this area. May I ask for an assurance that, when the operations have taken place, the report upon them will be presented to Parliament, and that active coal-getting operations will not be started until Parliament is in possession of the report and has had an opportunity of expressing an opinion?
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, I believe the noble Viscount is aware that there is a settled procedure on how to deal with opencast coal mining. All I can promise is that that procedure will be followed, and it will allow the objections suggested by the noble Earl and the noble Lord to be taken.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, perhaps I ought to be aware of the procedure, but I am not. It may be that there is some sort of inquiry. However, the important matter in these cases is not the opinion of an inquiry set up by a Minister, but the opinion of Parliament. All I am asking is that in this (as it appears to be) exceptional case, which I do not want to prejudge, Parliament should be given the opportunity of expressing an opinion.
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, I do not think anybody knows better than the noble Viscount that for us to accept that Parliament should be the judge of every piece of opencast mining would be entirely wrong. We could not allow development of opencast mining on those lines. I can assure noble Lords that every opportunity of making representations will be given to those in the locality and to the interested parties.