§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records are kept of old disused limestone mine workings in South Yorkshire; and where they are stored.
§ Mr. MoynihanSince 1872, on the abandonment of mine workings plans have been required by statute to be deposited with the Secretary of State for Employment. Those for minerals other than coal are lodged with the Health and Safety Executive (Mining Records Office), and those for coal mines are lodged with the British Coal Corporation. Pre-1872 records are not kept centrally. However, mine records are held by Barnsley metropolitan borough council (as successor to South Yorkshire county council) to provide a mining advisory service to Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham metropolitan borough councils, and by Sheffield city council. It is not known whether any of these records would include old limestone mine workings.