§ Mr. Sackvilleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if in view of the strong objections of local 194W residents, he will decline to approve the proposal for an opencast coal disposal point at Aldreds farm, Westhoughton.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneOn the assumption that my hon. Friend is referring to the proposed Aldreds disposal point, I understand that a planning application has been made by the National Coal Board for this scheme to the Greater Manchester council. My hon. Friend will therefore appreciate that I cannot comment on the merits of the proposal since it might at some stage come before me. However, I also understand that the application is presently in abeyance while the National Coal Board investigates the possibility of alternative access to the site. My hon. Friend might therefore wish to discuss this with the opencast executive of the board.