§ Mr. Urwinasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the National Coal Board on despoliation of beaches on the North-East Coast arising from tipping of colliery waste material; and what conclusions have been reached.
§ Mr. Graham PageThere have been discussions between all parties concerned over a long period.
As the hon. Member knows, the difficulty is to discover a way of reconciling the need to keep the pits running on an economic basis with the need to keep the waste off the beaches.
My right hon. Friend will, however, initiate fresh discussions with the National Coal Board in the near future.