§ Mr. MacFarquharasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st January 1965 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme ;
(2) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st January 1966 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(3) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st January 1967 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(4) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or 478W given in table A. The major part of R and D on nuclear energy is conducted by the UKAEA which is funded from the nuclear energy vote, overall responsibility for which lies with the Secretary of State for Energy. That is given in table B, together with certain expenditure which the UKAEA administer for my Department.
R and D is also conducted by the nationalized fuel and power industries, and this forms a large part of the public sector research and development on energy. Expenditure data are published annually by the industries.
over between 1st January 1968 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(5) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st July 1965 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(6) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st July 1966 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(7) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st July 1967 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(8) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or 479W over between 1st July 1968 and 14th December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme;
(9) how much it would cost to include ex-miners who retired at age 55 years or over between 1st January 1969 and December 1969 in the concessionary coal scheme.
§ Mr. Eadie:Arrangements for giving concessionary coal to men who retire are a matter for the National Coal Board.
However, men who were made redundant at age 55 or over after 14th December 1969 receive concessionary coal under the Redundant Mineworkers and Concessionary Coal (Payments Scheme) Order 1973, the cost to the board being reimbursed by the Government. It is not readily practicable to calculate how much it would cost to provide concessionary coal to those over the age of 55 made redundant between specified dates, who are not receiving concessionary coal, and who are still alive. However, the board estimates that it would currently cost about £l⅓ million a year to give concessionary coal to employees who were made redundant at 55 or over in the period from July 1967, when the redundant mineworkers payments scheme was first established, to December 1969, when the Redundant Mineworkers and Concessionary Coal (Payments Scheme) Order 1973 took effect.