§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will consider seeking to amend the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1957 to ensure that an independent surveyor, agreed to by the National Coal Board and householder, shall be appointed to assess damage in cases of claims of subsidence.
§ Mr. EadieAny claimant who wishes to employ an independent surveyor to pursue his claim against the National Coal Board may do so. If an independent surveyor is employed the Board will contribute towards his professional fees under the terms of a recent agreement between the Board and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which was published on 1st May. I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend and arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. For minor damage not exceeding £250, no fee contribution will as a general rule be paid as agreement can usually be reached between the Board's representatives and the claimant.
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§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will consider seeking to amend the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1957 to provide that the National Coal Board shall pay any difference between the price paid for a house damaged by subsidence and the price that would have obtained in the absence of subsidence.
§ Mr. EadieThe National Coal Board's voluntary code of practice makes provision for situations of this kind. Where personal hardships would otherwise be caused the Board will consider buying at its full undamaged value a damaged house which the owner is obliged to sell because, for example, he is moving to a new job in another district and cannot find a buyer because the house is damaged or is likely to be damaged in the near future by mining subsidence. Alternatively, if a buyer can be found, but only at a reduced price by reason of the damage, the Board will consider making up the difference between the undamaged value and the reduced selling price. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Board publication "Compensation for Mining Subsidence Damage" which sets out the code of practice and arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.