§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether a mineworker seeking to take advantage of the new mineworkers' redundancy payments scheme will be able to opt for his redundancy pay irrespective of whether his coal mine is to close or not; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe rules for redundancy are laid down by law. Redundancy arises only where a job ceases to exist. Only a man whose job ends, or whose type of work is being reduced, can qualify, and so mineworkers will not simply be able to opt for redundancy benefits. However, closure of a man's own pit is not necessarily 9W required. A man may, for example, be made redundant at a pit which is not closing in order to make way for one transferred from a pit which is.