§ Mr. EtheringtonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to ensure that as part of the denationalisation of the coal industry British Coal or its successor, the Coal Authority, will release all borehole information to the British Geological Survey; and if he will ensure that British Coal or the Coal Authority will remove the present embargo on academic study and research of geological data to develop geological knowledge for non-commercial purposes.
§ Mr. EggarThe Coal Industry Bill currently before Parliament places a specific duty on the Coal Authority normally to provide public access to a wide range of information in its possession, including geological data.