60. Mr. Bob Brownasked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements he has with the National Coal Board to consult in advance on future and pending pit closures in order to give an opportunity for the provision of advance factories and new jobs for redundant miners.
§ Mr. CroslandThe National Coal Board provides the Government periodically with estimates of likely redundancy in coal mining areas and manpower forecasts for some years ahead. These cannot be precise owing to the emergence of geological and other difficulties at pits previously expected to have a long life.
Decisions about individual pit closures are taken in consultation with the Unions and the National Coal Board, who will now consult the Chairman of Regional 345W Economic Planning Councils in cases where the proposed closures are in areas of high unemployment.