§ Mr. Duncan-SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in establishing the Coal Authority.
§ Mr. EggarI intend to appoint Sir David White as chairman of the Coal Authority, subject to Parliament's enacting the Coal Industry Bill. In the meantime, Sir David will advise my Department on the establishment of the authority and its policy. Sir David will give up his current appointment as a part-time member of British Coal.
The Government gave a commitment in their coal review White Paper that the headquarters of the Coal Authority would be located in Nottinghamshire. I am now able to announce the initial accommodation arrangements being made for the authority pending its own consideration of longer-term arrangements. The authority's headquarters will be located at 200 Lichfield lane, Berry Hill, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, which British Coal Opencast will also continue to use for the time being. The Authority will additionally take over British Coal's abandoned mine plans facility at Bretby in Staffordshire, and co-locate certain associated functions.
§ Mr. TippingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent discussions he has had on the future of the Coal Research Establishment; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThe future of the Coal Research Establishment is a matter for British Coal.
British Coal announced on 15 June that a new company, CRE Group Ltd., comprising CRE's technical and consultancy services together with CRE's laboratory-scale research and development activities, will be offered for sale later in the year. CRE's large-scale R and D activities will be retained within British Coal.