§ Mr. Keith HillTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps he has taken to verify that coal imported into the United Kingdom from Colombia has not been mined by child labour;
921W(2) if he will deposit in the Library the documentation he has received certifying that coal imported into the United Kingdom from Colombia is not produced with child labour;
(3) what assurances he has received directly or via PowerGen or National Power on the safety conditions in coal mines in Colombia exporting coal to the United Kingdom and on whether child labour is employed;
(4) what reports of inspections of coal mines in Colombia exporting coal to the United Kingdom have been published; and if he will give the details of publication;
(5) when was the last occasion on which he discussed the issue of Colombian coal and child labour with (a) officials of PowerGen and (b) officials of National Power;
(6) what checks have been made by his Department to confirm that no coal being mined by child labour in Colombia is being delivered to stores in that country that are used for exports of coal to the United Kingdom;
(7) if he will deposit in the Library the correspondence which has taken place between his Department and PowerGen and National Power on the issue of the importation of coal from mines in Colombia using child labour;
(8) if he will list the dates and locations of inspections which have been carried out by or on behalf of his Department of coal mines in Colombia exporting coal to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. EggarI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) on 9 February,Official Report, column 314. Since then, I have met Dr. Pretelt, the president of Carbocol, who assured me that Colombian labour law, and mining law, prohibits women and under-18s from going underground, and that no Colombian coal for export is mined by children.