HL Deb 28 July 1976 vol 373 cc1341-2

2.34 p.m.

Lord ELTON

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the National Coal Board has yet reported on the security of all the tips in Wales designated in Part I of the Mines and Quarries Ate 1969, whether the report was made in a manner conforming with the recommendations of the Aberfan Tribunal and whether they can now state that all such tips are in a safe condition.

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, there are three parts to this Question and the answer to each is, Yes.

Lord ELTON

My Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for his helpful Answer, may I congratulate him on its brevity and clarity? In considering the alterations to tips which are shown as necessary, if such there be, may I ask him whether he will bear in mind two points: one, the fact that in the past tragedy has struck as a result of heavy rainfall on the tips—and we are at the end of a long dry period which I would suspect makes tips unstable—and, two, that there is scope here for co-ordinating lesser works with schemes of reclamation and environmental improvement such as were discussed in the last Question, thereby further extending the employment offered?

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, in answer to the first part of the supplementary question, I can say that I have seen reports which indicate that water is taken to be the main factor. Generally, about three quarters of the reports are concerned with water, so that the people doing the work have that very much in mind. So far as the second part is concerned, we shall bear in mind what the noble Lord has said, but we are always restricted by the limit on expenditure.

Lord POPPLEWELL

My Lords, can my noble friend say how much of the fly dust from electricity generating stations is being used in the filling of these tips and whether this is providing a very safe subsoil for the future development of the surface ground at these particular tips?

Lord JACQUES

My Lords, I have no information on that point. If my noble friend cares to put down a Question, I shall certainly get the information.