Coolscar Quarry (Hansard, 29 January 1987)

Lord Hunt
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Skelmersdale)
My Lords, before issuing a decision in this case my right honourable friend requires the parties to conclude an agreement dealing with certain off-site matters. Since my right honourable friend announced this as long ago as 22nd May he has now written to the parties informing them that, unless an agreement sealed by all the parties is sent to him by midday on 27th February, then a decision will be issued on that day which takes account of the fact that the matter which it was proposed to deal with by means of an agreement has not been so dealt with.

Lord Hunt
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. Will he accept that I am glad to learn that this protracted affair is within sight of being resolved? Will he in advance accept my apologies for not feeling able to be quite as co-operative and friendly as I was 1458 during an exchange yesterday, and I ask him whether he recalls that I have twice previously raised this matter in your Lordships' House, on 28th November 1985 and on 8th April 1986? Is it not serious that two years on from the cessation of permission to a quarrying company to mine limestone in a national park that that company should have continued to do so to the great detriment of the purposes of the national park? Finally, are there not lessons to be learnt from this deplorable affair to prevent future flouting of planning regulations?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I am well aware of the interest of the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, in this matter, which, as he said, has surfaced on two previous occasions in parliamentary Questions. I accept straightaway that it has dragged on far too long, which is why my right honourable friend, through my mouth as it were, has made the announcement that he has today. I suspect that there are lessons to be learnt from this. When we have concluded this we shall be able to make an analysis of what lessons are to be drawn and what action we can take in the future.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, as the Minister agrees that this has dragged on far too long and far too much limestone has been quarried in that time, will he instruct his department to impose an output limitation of 175,000 tonnes a year, which was the figure given in the decision letter by the department in May last year, so that at any rate there is some control at the moment until the agreement is signed by both parties?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I did not say that far too much limestone had been quarried. I was careful not to say that. What I said—and the noble Baroness is quite right—was that this matter has dragged on far too long. Yes, the decision that my right honourable friend is minded to make is indeed for 175,000 tonnes a year. But, as I said, he will make up his mind when he finally makes the decision on 27th February.

§ Baroness Lockwood
My Lords, in view of the apparently special nature of the limestone being quarried in this area, which makes the area one of particular interest and beauty, can the Minister tell us what steps are being taken to try to establish the extent of the reserves of pure limestone and whether research is being undertaken into possible substitutes?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, it has been suggested that a working party on chemically pure limestone should be set up, and this matter remains under consideration. We need to know the extent of high purity, high quality limestone in this country, but I rather suspect that by the nature of things this is likely to be in areas which will give rise to the same sort of public concern that this one has; in other words, high landscape value areas.

§ Lord Ironside
My Lords, can my noble friend say, in view of the fact that limestone is an important feedstock for the flue gas desulphurisation plants which are going to be built in this country in the future, whether this quarry has a significant part to play in the supply of limestone to the CEGB?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, not to the best of my knowledge, but high quality, or chemically pure, limestone is comparatively scarce and is important in the manufacture of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and magnesia refractories. For most of those applications the limestone must be at least 98.5 per cent. calcium carbonate and have a very low concentration of impurities such as iron and aluminium.

§ Lord Diamond
My Lords, in view of the Minister's statement that this matter has been going on far too long, can he tell the House whether the letter that his right honourable friend sent with a view to bringing it to an end was sent prior to or after my noble friend Lord Hunt put down his Question?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I am answering the Question today and the letter was sent today, as I have already said.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, when will the results of the inquiry into Eldon Hill quarry be announced? That inquiry finished in March last year and I think the House would be reassured to know that there will not be the delay in announcements about that that there has been on Coolscar.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, that is a rather different question. If the noble Baroness would like to put her question to me more formally, I shall be delighted to answer it.